Steam
by kellythegreat
Summary: Zuko's heart is unreachable, fierce as fire. But will the power of water unbridle his anguish? A ZukoxKatara, leading up to 'Boiling Blood'.
1. Chapter 1

**Steam**

There were shadows running across the water as the sun sought refuge beneath the horizon. The day was old, and the moon waited its few more hours until It rose into the sky, where the darkness fled from its silver beams and sought the shades of storm clouds that overtook the ocean. Thunder echoed in the distance, ominous, a foreboding of conflict that the future still held.

He opened his hand, slowly, and stared at the soft network of lines that made up his palm. They ran up to his fingers, twisting in strange and unnatural ways, just as the lives of men twisted themselves into complex patterns, building up glorious dreams with glimpses of bright hopes...only to have the same beliefs torn apart, destroyed, the ground ripped out brutally from beneath them and all peace stolen away. The body of man was a weak, powerless thing. The will of man was breakable, unstable. The heart of man was unreliable, unreadable, an ever-shifting thing that could only be trusted if it was unfeeling, uncaring...

Fierce and ruthless as fire.

_You must be fire._

He let a soft drizzle of smoke escape from his palm and whirled with a speed fueled by his anger. The wind rushed by his face in vain attempts to keep pace with him. Lightning flashed afar off and reflected the thriving passion of his tortured soul, his body bent with memories he had yet to erase. His hands spun and wrists met; flames cracked down his arms and sped from him in a fury that matched the staring, golden glaze in his eyes. But his vision blurred terribly, and the left side of the ship fell into a reddish haze. He let out a gasp of rage and stopped where he stood, almost hissing from exhaustion, the hours of practice beating down the strength of his mortal body. His muscles were gleaming, his hands hot and heavy, the sweat dripping down across his forehead. Flinching, he hesitated...and closed his right eye.

The world became a stinging, obscure mess. He bit the air venomously and opened both eyes again as the smoke in his fists turned black.

"Prince Zuko, do not harm yourself."

Zuko clenched his fists tighter for a moment and then relaxed. Dark burns seared across his palms, but he did not acknowledge them; his muscles tensed as he stood and turned back towards the ship's cabin. A large man, too full around the waist, his eyes grey and his hair greyer, folded his hands beneath the sleeves of his uniform and stood patient as the Prince passed.

"Wrap them when you get inside. Put oil on them to soothe the pain."

He paused, and the pride of his still untamed heart flared up to his lips.

"I am in no pain. Good day, Uncle."

The thunder growled again as Iroh stood beneath the first few drops of rain. In silence the old man prayed to the dark sky to ease the same darkness in his nephew's heart.

_

* * *

_

_Concentrate_

She could feel it flowing through her veins, feel the spirit of peace, of serenity that glittered in each drop of liquid she moved through the air. She could mold it, flow with it, become the same stirring essence that gave water the power of life, of healing. The flourishing substance that leaked into the soul like an soothing cure, opening the mind, relaxing the senses, deepening the feelings of the heart -

"MOMO! GIVE ME BACK MY BOOMERANG! IT'S NOT A - woah -"

Sokka fell flat onto his face as he ducked the airborne blade. Momo did not catch it, but made a terrified little _meep_! and dodged behind a low-hanging branch. Aang, seeing the flying danger, leapt into the air and caught the boomerang as Katara huffed, irritated at the interruption, the water she had been bending scattered on the dry ground and vanishing quickly.

"Will you guys knock it OFF?" she panted in her annoyance as her fists clenched in frustration. "I'm _trying_ to practice," Sokka, who now turned his attention to a satchel full of freshly caught fish, looked up as he placed a trout at the end of a sharpened stick.

"Relax Katara. You can practice your water-bending later. Right now, I think we ought to all thank the guy who caught all of these lovely little fish -"

He stood up with his hands on his hips in a very triumphant pose, as though waiting for some sort of medal to be placed around his neck. Katara blinked, but Aang laughed and jumped over beside his friend.

"Great job, Sokka. It's better than Leechy Nuts, anyway."

Sokka's grin broadened at the approval of the Avatar and he sat down to his dinner, almost sickeningly content. Appa groaned and sniffed around for the bag, but the warrior quickly snatched it away before the bison could get a hold of it.

Aang sat down beside Katara as she neared the fire. The water bender took out the scroll the Avatar and her had been learning from and looked over it. Aang looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"I think we've down everything on there Katara. Both of us!" Katara smiled and looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of her friend.

"Aang, I think you're right. But..your bending is still better than mine by a long shot."

"Come on Katara, don't say that -"

"It's true. I saw you freezing and melting ice the other day. I could never do it as fluidly as you can."

The air bender blushed a furious shade of red and scratched the back of his tattooed head.

"Well, you know, I try -"

"Am I the ONLY one whose going to take advantage of these fish, or would you two rather starve?" mumbled Sokka angrily as he finished devouring his third fish. Katara rolled her eyes and grabbed a trout as Aang went to feed Appa. Momo reached out to grab the boomerang from Sokka's belt again, but the warrior leapt up and sped to the other side of the campfire.

"Not this time, Momo. From now on, you are not allowed within three feet of any weapon!"

Momo's big ears dropped in confusion and Katara laughed. Both Aang and Sokka were soon munching away on their dinners, warmed by the fire and falling into a conversation about how boomerangs and lemurs don't mix.

Katara nibbled on her fish, lost to the sudden worries that often entered, unwelcomely, into her mind. The Avatar was sitting next to her, munching a few nuts along with his dinner. She thought of the spears of the soldiers and the blood of her mother - no, she could not think of that. The necklace...the necklace that Zuko still had. Her mother's necklace...anger flared up in her heart but she subdued it. Bigger matters were at hand. The twelve-year-old who sat beside her, destined to save the world, was still completely unaware of the ruthless tactics the Fire Nation, of the unknown plans they had in store once the world was completely under there control -

_That won't happen, _hissed Katara to herself. She looked over to where Sokka had finally contented himself with his seventh fish and had fallen asleep, instantly, on his sleeping bag. Aang looked at Katara and smiled, and the troublesome thoughts that berated her soon vanished as they began to laugh at Sokka's snoring.

* * *

"What are your orders then, Prince Zuko?"

His hair was down and falling over his face, unkept by the ponytail he usually wore it in. The ship's Captain had aroused him from a deep and unpleasant dream to warn him of a strange sickness that had infected his shipmates. The teenager was still only half dressed, bare to the waist where he had put on a pair of flaring pants and pieces of Fire Nation armor. He grabbed a hair tie from his dressing table and pulled back his hair.

"Where is the nearest port?"

"At the next island, Sir."

"Stop there. We will find a healer on the island to cure your men. We can also re-stock the ship. We will leave again in three days and head north."

"Thank you, Prince Zuko," finished the Captain. He hesitated, and quickly bowed to the Prince with what seemed like a sliver of true respect. Iroh watched him leave and turned back to face Zuko, who was pulling on a shirt.

"This is a very respectable thing you are doing, Zuko."

"We cannot man the ship if the men all fall sick, and we need supplies. It is nothing personal, Uncle."

"True, but all the same I am proud of you for it. Perhaps we may be able to find a few wind pipes in the market place tomorrow afternoon. I would love to hear the Captain play, seeing as he goes on about his skills for most of the day."

Zuko relaxed reluctantly at the delightful disposition of his relative and picked up his breastplate, preparing to strap it on.

"Very well, Uncle. I will see you tomorrow."

Iroh bowed and exited quietly. As the door shut, a focus came back into Zuko's eyes.

The comfort his Uncle's presence brought to him was immediately erased. There could be no feeling of the heart. There could be no weakness.

Anger consumed him as he realized he had given into comfort again. His fists clenched and fire seared in his gaze. The flames were part of him, part of the boundless fury that tore up his soul, the anger that grew from the injustice h had suffered, the anguish. He could not allow himself any solace; peace and happiness was only a disguise for torment, it was deception, it was a back-stabbing fiend that betrayed those with weak souls and burned everything that was held dear to them. The fire was getting too hot, and Zuko's hands began to burn again. But the pain, at least, taught him a lesson that no one had ever had the decency to teach him before.

Peace did not last. The only thing you could do to protect yourself was to have no feeling, at all. To be the element that ran through Zuko's body, that clouded his senses; the same element that had given him his scar.

He had to be fire.


	2. Chapter 2

Aang ducked down from the howling rain and pulled his shirt over his head, a feeble attempt at protecting himself from the stinging winds. Katara grabbed his wrist, clutching her hood and running blindly towards the dim light that glittered off in the distance - their soon-to-be refuge for the night. Sokka yelled something behind her but his words were carried away with the storm, and after getting choked several times with rainwater, he gave up trying to reach his sister's ears. Aang's eyes were stinging and Momo hid himself beneath the folds of his shirt, though he was already soaked and the act only caused masses of fur to pile onto the Avatar's clothes. Katara finally reached the light and ducked inside, finding herself standing, soaked to the skin and shivering, before the wide-eyed miniature owner of the antique shop.

The woman stared up at her, bewildered at the sudden appearance of her. Aang stumbled in the door after her closely followed by Sokka, who fell forward onto a dusty red rug and sighed his relief. Aang himself nearly knocked over a vase on his entry and the woman, shocked, ran to catch it before it smashed to the floor.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm so sorry, the storm was just so - I mean, we were trying to find shelter and -"

"Calm down, miss, calm down!" said the woman as Katara mumbled on in desperate explanations. She replaced the vase with a little help from Aang, who felt slightly embarrassed at the destructive entry, and kicked Sokka so he would stand up and stop dripping on the carpet. When the vase was secured the woman turned back to her with a cheerful little smile.

"I quite understand you were caught up in the rain. A storm like this is very brutal. Would you children like some tea? It would be just the thing to warm you up."

Katara's face relaxed as the woman shuffled to a door in the back of the room, through which a round table stood set with several tea cups. Pulling Sokka into the room, Aang took a seat beside Katara, who watched as the woman lifted a tea pot off the stove. As she carried it to the table, she held out her cup for the woman to pour - but the old lady shook her head.

Slowly she moved her hand, and the steaming water from the tea kettle drifted through the air and into her cup of its own accord; the sight made everyone at the table gasp and the woman almost dropped the tea.

"You're- you're a water bender!" Aang finally exclaimed, and the woman gave out a low, laugh.

"Not much of one, you see. If I was, the Fire Nation would have gotten rid of me awhile ago. And you should talk, with all those Airbender tattoos on you! Who do you think you are, impersonating a Nomad?"

She glared at Aang but Katara quickly leapt between them in a desperate effort to explain.

"No, no ma'am, he really is an Airbender. He's the Avatar..."

"Oh! Oh, I see, ah yes, I'm sorry," said the lady quickly as she continued to pour the tea. "It's just the Fire Nation destroyed all the Airbenders I knew of, and well, you've been gone so long...nevermind! Where were we? Ah yes, tea..." she shuffled around and gave the rest of them tea, taking special care to make the water form a little arrow for Aang before it went into his cup. As she crushed the tea leaves into their drinks, Katara's curiosity got the better of her.

"Excuse me, but if you don't mind me asking, how did a water bender like you get so far north? The Fire Nation -"

"Oh, the Fire Nation only cares about you if you're a threat, dear," said the woman as she sipped from her cup. "My family moved here a long while ago, and back then none of seemed to have any water bending skills. My grandmother married a man of Earth Kingdom, you see; I was about your age when I started showing talent in water bending, and my parents -"

There was a low ring from the front of the shop and the woman paused, listening.

"Oh dear, customers. Excuse me moment, will you?"

Katara nodded to the old woman with an amazing sense of pride and respect growing in her heart. As the woman left the room, she looked at the tea kettle and began to bend it from inside, just as the woman had. The feeling was one of content; the water was steaming and she could feel the warmth flowing through her fingers as she twisted it into shapes of bison and lemurs in the air, much to Aang's delight. As she continued to bend it back into the kettle, the woman's voice drifted from the front of the shop.

"...we have pipes, very nice ones, and in wonderful condition. Would you like to try them out? Here are some silver ones...your nephew may enjoy them..."

"Oh, no, but thank you. Zuko does not seem to have a taste for music, you see..."

Sokka stopped swallowing his tea half-way and choked, splattering the remains out onto Aang. Aang made a face of disgust but Katara knew there wasn't time to complain about her brother's table manners. She leapt to a nearby window and opened it, so that the raging winds thundered through the opening and rain whipped at her face.

"Go, Aang! Sokka, come on!"

Sokka crawled through the window and Aang made a motion to follow, but paused as Katara bent over the table and began to write a hurried note.

"Katara what're you -"

"It's for the old woman to thank her. Go! We can't let them catch you!"

Aang hesitated but crawled through the window as Katara finished scribbling a thank you on a nearby napkin. Suddenly the doorknob turned and the old woman stood there, innocent, kind, and all together their ironic doom.

"We have flutes in the back room...why, what's wrong?" she stuttered, catching sight of the flushed Katara and the open window. "Where are your friends? The Airbender boy -"

"Airbender?" said Iroh suddenly, jumping at the term. Katara, knowing they had been found out, sped away wide eyed and leapt through the window with assistance from her brother. Iroh ran back into the shop and confronted his nephew, who stood sullen at the doorway, lost in his own thought.

"Prince Zuko! The Avatar is here! He is in the back!"

"What?" Zuko snapped. His previous thoughts vanished and his adrenaline kicked in with sudden vigor; he felt his veins sear with sudden fire and he roared as he turned away from his Uncle to begin his pursuit. His hands burst into flame as he sped out into the storm, but the howling winds thrashed his body so brutally that flames became more of a nuisance than an advantage. The rain was to thick and constant, and a fog was appearing that blurred his already strained vision. To use any fire bending tricks was completely out of the question, a thought that made his already maddened insides fume from a sense of helplessness. But the disadvantage was soon forgotten as he drew the twin blades he always carried with him, a fallback weapon in any case fire bending could not be used. As he caught sight of the tattooed boy helping Katara through the window, he drew back his arms and sped towards them with a speed supplied from his own raging determination.

Aang saw him coming and gave Sokka the job of rescuing Katara; drawing the Prince's attention away from the others he ran towards the woods, blowing hard on Appa's bison whistle. Zuko knew this trick by now and registered that he had little time; he aimed a blow at the boy's side to render him injured, but alive. The attack failed when Sokka, blade in hand, blocked the blow and aimed his own straight into the Prince's neck. He dodged it like a snake, hissing at the intrusion, and slid the side of his blade across the warrior. Sokka's arm burst into a brilliant flash of dark red and he blood spilled to the ground. He cried out and fell just as Appa soared down to meet them, roaring with a voice that promised safety for the three companions.

Zuko ignored the flying beast and made another leap at Aang, tossing a small pellet before him which burst into a blinding smokescreen that stung the Avatar's eyes. Aang slid through the mud from the sudden onset of dark smoke, but his concentration returned as he stirred the air around him and wiped the smoke away with one tremendous effort.

Zuko lost some of his footing on the slippery ground and slipped down into the mud, where he tripped Aang with the flat of his blade. Momo, however, had suddenly come into the picture; the lemur made a valiant jump and landed square on Zuko's head, and the Prince roared in frustration.

Sokka puled Aang onto Appa and beckoned for Katara. She was still struggling to get to them, slipping through the mud half-sliding towards the giant bison; Momo leapt onto her shoulder and Zuko, enraged, flew towards her. But Katara sthrashed him down with a water whip from a nearby puddle and grabbed the reins of Appa, who flew off into the storm only half-steady and tossed about by the fierce winds.

Zuko did not waste a second. There was no time for mistakes. He practically vanished from the store front and pulled up to his ship with uncanny speed; he yelled at the Captain to move the ship, but the crew had seen the bison and were already under way. Iroh, wide-eyed and still completely confused over the matter, stood on shore watching, is newly-bought wind pipes in hand.

"Can't this bison go any FASTER?" screamed Sokka as the wind thrashed his red face. "That lunatic's right behind us, and this thing won't go any higher or any quicker! Isn't there some button we can press to speed it up or something?"

"Knock it off, Sokka!" said Aang, pushing the warrior away from the reins and giving Appa another encouraging _Yip Yip_! But Appa could not be spurred on; the winds were too fierce and it took all the great bison's will to keep a clear course in the rain, and speed would only cause mayhem.

Zuko's ship was rocking terribly, but he did not heed the Captain's orders and head inside. The arrow in his hand was quivering, anxious to leave the string and sink into the flesh of the monstrous beast that flew, mockingly, before them. That bison was the reason they escaped him, and with the chase growing old, he sought a definite end to the Avatar's evasive steed.

There was a pluck and the arrow flew; lightning flashed through the sky and the ship gave a great moan.

Appa roared as the deadly point sank into his leg. Katara, scrabbling for something to hang onto, grabbed a piece of Appa's saddle as the great bison turned heavily on one side, dropping down in the sky from pain and exhaustion. But the rain had made the packs slippery, and her fingers slid down the side of the great beast in an effort to hold on. Aang was yelling her name; Sokka was trying to crawl to her whily clutching to one of Appa's great horns.

The ship turned terribly on one side and Zuko was caught off guard; he flew from one end of the ship to the other, dropping both bow and blade as he slid. From shore, Iroh watched the scene helplessly as his nephew's hand caught the edge of the deck and he clung, barely, to the dripping railing. He squinted from pure strain on his body and the rain fell, heedless and painful, into both eyes. He yelled from the merciless sting as the wind whipped his body, and the crew, hearing him, began to make a run for him.

The saddle slipped from Katara's grasp and in desperation she clung, briefly, to the long white hair that grew from Appa; but it was slick as oil, and her fingers ran through it like butter. Zuko clawed at the smooth metal with his fingertips but there was nowhere he could regain his grip; the iron had no faults for him to grab and the strength in his hands faded.

Katara yelled Aang's name as her grip slipped and she plummeted from the sky; Zuko called out to no one, but let both fate and gravity take him without a struggle. It was moments before both of them were lost in the raging waters beneath the storm.


	3. Chapter 3

Water was rushing around her ears...but this time it wasn't calming, wasn't peaceful. It was loud, violent, painful...

Katara bit her lip and flinched. There was something rough and uncomfortable rubbing against her cheek, and she stirred restlessly, annoyed at the bitter substance that was causing her such discomfort. The sound of roaring water was still pounding in her ears, and she opened her watering eyes, seeking the source of the noise.

The world was bright, dusty, and blurry. At first everything in Katara's gaze was a blinding white, and she shut her eyes from the sudden brilliance of it. Then, of course, she realized she was staring right into the middle of a sunrise after a terrible storm - which would blind anyone, not counting that she had just woken from unconsciousness and had no idea that she was facing the fiercest point of the sun. She rolled over and opened her eyes again, and found it much easier to see. But something was sticking to the side of her face; she raised her hand to wipe it away but paused when her hand brushed the same rough texture that she lay on - only then did she discover she was lying on a beach.

She sat up, but the action made her head ache and she let out a slight gasp as her temples throbbed. The wind was still growling softly and she shielded her eyes , gazing down the length of the beach, her vision still terribly impaired.

Her gaze caught something dark and indistinguishable stirring down in the sands. For a moment, she thought it may be some sort of animal, a beached dolphin or struggling to get to the water - but when the dolphin sat up and put a hand on its head, obviously suffering the same daze as she was, hope flared up in her heart.

"Sokka...Aang? Hey!" she was still too weak to run, but instead floundered through the rough sands in both desperation and joy; but when she reached the figure her voice caught and she let out a gasp of horror.

"YOU!"

Both Zuko and Katara leapt shakily and fell into wavering battle stances. Katara had more time to recover than Zuko, and somehow held her footing in the flying sand; Zuko, however, had awoken seconds before and he fell heavily onto one knee, blind and weak, hearing only the echoes of a faint female voice above him. He bit the air in frustration as pain shot up his leg, and his hands fell, digging into the sand with bleeding fingers as he tried to regain full consciousness.

Katara paused with a whip of sea water ready in her hands, noticing that he too was slave to a state of complete exhaustion; undoubtedly their bodies had been thrashed by fearsome waves all night, until the beach reached out her arms and pulled them onto land for momentary safety. For a moment, the water bender wondered if they were even alive, standing there on that beach...or that maybe this was some strange dream and she was still asleep beside Aang...maybe there had never even been a storm...

Zuko's vision cleared and his gaze fell on Katara; the rage simmered in his blood and he punched towards her, letting a hissing flame escape his clenched fist. She moved just in time and sent the whip towards him with equal fury; he ducked it but it skimmed his back and left a strange, straight cut in his flesh. Infuriated, he swung his arm and a curved wall of fire knocked Katara to the ground; her coat caught fire and she tore it off as Zuko floundered for footing in the sand and leapt towards her. He caught her arm behind her back and she let out a yell.

"Where is he?" he snarled into her ear. Katara ground her teeth and slammed her heel into the Prince's foot. Zuko let go of her and stumbled back as Katara slid into the sand.

"Leave me alone! Leave Aang alone, leave..." but Katara's words faded as the endurance of her body faded. The water was still flowing in her, healing her, but she had no strength. Her eyes fluttered and she fell forward into the sand before Zuko's feet.

Zuko froze, trying to gather the situation in his head. He had...he had been thrown overboard. This girl, this water bender girl - she was a traveler with the Avatar. What was she doing here? What was he doing here?

The storm...suddenly the night before came rushing back into the fire bender's throbbing head and he looked at Katara with sudden understanding. She had fainted from the exhaustion of battling tidal waves and roaring gales, and upon seeing him the leftover adrenaline kicked in and she attacked - but the strain must have been too much on her. Zuko frowned at her weakness and debated what course of action to take.

He gazed at the island, which was small, but familiar. Though he could not remember quite why it was familiar, he knew he had seen the place before and his eyes met a shallow path that ran up into a grove dark woods.

He turned back to Katara, wh lay motionless in the sand, and hesitated. The tide was coming in and to leave her would mean she would drown; but why should he care? She was just a water bending girl, she was of no real use to him in capturing the Avatar, since both bison and ship had seemingly vanished from their side of the earth.

But the Avatar, he remembered suddenly, had rescued him in a similar condition. Zuko felt something stir inside him at the thought of returning the favor, but refused to feel anything over the matter.

"It is simply honorable," he whispered to himself. He unclasped all his armor, knowing it would no longer serve him any purpose on this deserted beach, and saw trails of sweat soaked into his shirt. He grimaced, mentally slapping himself from not noticing the heat, and took off his shirt also. The girl had taken off her jacket when it had caught fire, but she was sweating still; obviously he had to get her to shade and water or she would die from heatstroke.

Stooping, he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her waist. She was light and he lifted her effortlessly into his arms, where he caught his first clear view of the delicate outline of her face. But there wasn't time to gaze at her or fondle over good looks. She had what he feared was the beginning of a fever, so he carried her swiftly off the beach and into the shade of the woods in desperate search of fresh water, leaving his armor abandoned on the dry beach.

* * *

Katara regained a bit of consciousness only twice as Zuko walked. The first time her eyelashes fluttered and she looked up at him, dazed and confused. He feared, momentarily, that she would recognize him and thrash from his arms in an attempt at escape - but she fainted again soon after looking at his eyes and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The second time she awoke was when he was placing her, carefully, on a bed of moss beside a pool of freshwater. Zuko had examined the area and marked no danger - none that he couldn't handle, anyways. The deep pool was cold and clear, fed from a raging waterfall that thundered faintly a few yards away. At the sounds of water Katara stirred and opened her eyes. She did not at first see Zuko, but noticed something out of the ordinary when the cold water touched her lips. She drank it slowly and whispered a thank you, though she did not know who she was thanking or why.

Zuko's body tensed at her voice. It was very soft, very quiet. Something in it seemed to rush through his veins and make everything in his heart seem less passionate...less tortured...like he had gone slightly numb. Her eyes fluttered open and she struggled to prop herself up, to which Zuko aided her, still stirred by the peaceful note of her voice.

But as she shook her head, trying to gain focus, he fell back into himself and took a step away. He knew what her reaction would be before she even noticed him, and the rage flickered through his veins again. His fists smoked, knowing the injustice she was about to accuse him of. She would catch sight of him and struggle up, bending the water and attempting to thrash him down while he struggled in desperation to explain that he had saved her life, the miserable, ungrateful little-

But when her eyes fell on him, the anger that swelled in his heart fell away again.

Her eyes were blue, clear and cool as ice. She was so calm, so peaceful...and he was so angry, so apathetic. He was stronger than her, fiercer, and she was weak, unstable, too influenced by the serenity she had always known. Her element was water, her purpose was to soothe; but she would be destroyed by her helplessness, her tranquility, by the calming soft glow in her eyes...

Then the fire flickered in his heart again as she turned and faced him, and her gaze turned to one of astonishment.

"...Did you save me?"

His hands shook a little, she noticed. The deep gold of his eyes seemed confused, tormented with some inner conflict that he could not seem to decide upon himself. But as she stared at him, the relaxed focus of his gaze turned to fury. He stood as fire flared up his arms, as the pride and anguish seeped back into his mind.

"I did not save you. I was repaying a debt."

He turned away from her and the flames faded. Katara attempted to stand, leaning on a nearby tree for support. Zuko turned his head, briefly, to see what she was up too; what he saw was her beginning to lose her balance and the greedy claws of gravity take hold of her.

He caught her before she could topple into the water and he felt her cling, briefly, to his shoulder; then she pushed him away after gaining her footing.

"Get off me," she hissed defensively. Zuko glared at her and almost growled from the injustice.

"Your welcome," he snarled. At those words Katara's face relaxed. If she kept getting on his bad side he would light her up like a bonfire, and she had to find her way back to Aang alive. Trembling, she shook her head and bowed to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Zuko paused, confused, and then glared again.

"Don't do that," he hissed, standing straight and turning away from her. Flames were licking his arms, but he did not seem to notice. Katara saw it and took a step towards him.

"Doesn't...doesn't that hurt?" she said slowly, watching the fire glitter around his elbows. Zuko turned an eye on her and then looked down at his hands. His shoulders dropped slowly and he relaxed.

"Not really. Only if it gets too hot for you to handle."

"Oh."

There was a sudden, unexpected silence. Katara screeched to a stop in her head. She had jsut made conversation with Prince Zuko.

"Where are we?"

"A Fire Nation island," said Zuko instantly. He knew she would ask this question and he had an immediate answer ready for her. "An old worship island. It's been abandoned for years. There's a temple on that ridge over there."

Katara paused and looked at Zuko, who still stood motionless beside the pool. The fact that they were both abandoned on this island had obviously done something to the way they acted towards each other. Zuko, for example, was not trying to kill her or force news of the Avatar out of her. Perhaps this sudden misfortune had nodded some sense into his muddled head.

"Zuko," said Katara suddenly, and the fire bender's pride flared again as the girl he had been chasing spoke his first name without fear. "You know this island more than I do, and we both want to get off of it. We should help each other."

"I could kill you and survive on my own, you know," he said, and the flames flared up his arms, securing that the threat was nothing like a bluff. But Katara's hope would not let her give up. She stood her ground, even when Zuko raised his fist towards her face, letting the red light glitter off her affectionate features. The heat stung her eyes and they watered irritably. But she did not blink, but stared into her foe's gold eyes in equal determination.

"But you wouldn't, would you?"

Zuko's fist clenched as he looked at her, pure beauty, pure serenity. The fires of rage flickered through him and his blood boiled in frustration. He had killed men before, but never a woman - and never, for that matter, a water bender. He knew that water flowed in her veins the same way fire flowed through his, twisting their senses into something deeper and more fluid than they had originally been, but they were opposites: passion against peace, fury against forgiveness. The stern look of her gaze relaxed as she noticed that Zuko was not striking, and he could not bear to look into the cool tranquillity that strained to meet his eyes.

The flames vanished as his golden gaze looked away. He lowered his hand, lost in sudden confusion as to why he was letting this girl go. But for the moment, he overlooked the fact that his anger was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Katara gripped the side of the cliff, digging into the rough rocks with her nails, concetrating all her strength into climbing the mountain side. The first few peaks of the Fire Nation temple were peeking over the ridge but she was still struggling to the top; Zuko, a yard or so ahead of her, took hold of a rock and swung himself up onto the ledge. His body was gleaming with sweat, his ponytail slightly askew and his muscles tense from an entire day of climbing. He leaned back, gasping a little for air, but he would not let his guard down for more than those few seconds. He knew Katara was in like condition, if not worse, and looked down the cliff side to see if she was still able to climb the jagged rocks.

The fire bender had taken an immediate dislike to the rock wall they were forced to climb. It was unstable, unreliable, constantly showering debris onto the jagged ground below. The sight made him think of the weakness of the heart, of all the stupid, wavering beliefs that man based his dramatic actions upon. There was no true, solid ground in their hearts, just as the cliff held no promise of solid footholds. Their beliefs were scattered like waste whenever they were challenged, or beaten down into shaky foundations that were easily swayed by time and turmoil. If a man was to believe, he must put all his heart to it - or, in some cases, save himself the trouble of future conflict and not believe anything at all.

The water bender's hand gripped the ground next to Zuko's knees and she gave a giant heave, putting all of her main weight into her right arm. The result was something Zuko had anticipated; the rock gave way and Katara let out a frightened little gasp. The fire bender reached out to grab her arm, but she caught a different rock and shoed him away.

"I can do it myself," she hissed, crawling back onto the ledge. Zuko's fury simmered briefly, but he was tired from physical strain and in no mood for an quarrel with the girl he had spared from death.

"Fine," he hissed back, standing and walked towards the gleaming steps of the Fire Temple's entrance. Katara followed him, though the heat was making her sweat and she would rather have rested before moving on.

Zuko stopped before the Temple's doors and breathed slowly. The great, arching towers of the temple had been beaten down by the elements, the roofs broken in violently from the decay of support beams and the ferocity of winter storms. Vines, both dead and alive, hung from broken windows on the higher floors and birds had nested in the shattered rafters; all the glorious, majestic paintings of spirits and battles had been washed away with wind and rain, leaving the walls stained with unnatural color and dripping mud. The doors to the Temple were open, for Fire Nation custom was to never close the doors of a place of worship, lest prayers should never be received. Inside there was a draft of cold air running across the ground, which sped through the warm day and around both Zuko's and Katara's bare feet, causing a shiver to run up Katara's spine.

"This is a strange place," said Katara quietly as she walked up beside the Prince. Zuko turned, glared at her, and walked towards the doors without answering.

As she walked past the great stone gateway, as strange numb feeling entered Katara's body; the water in her veins seemed to cool and slow in motion, as if this broken temple held a sort of peace she was yet unaware of. The faint rays of daylight that fell through patches of roof and open windows gazed down at her like the soft eyes of an unknown god; a delicate, caring gaze, something she hadn't seen in a long time. Maybe it was the impact of light into the dark, dreary temple that gave her hope of rescue, of seeing Aang whiz around on his air ball again, on watching Sokka yell at Momo and Appa groan in the background...of seeing her father, his face finally cheerful, his eyes alight and void of worry. It reminded her of the water rushing through her veins, soothing, comforting. It reminded her of her mother...

Katara's eyes watered up suddenly as Zuko slowed in the midst of the temple. He turned to tell her something but stopped short when he caught the gleam of her eyes. His world screeched to an abrupt stop and he stood there, dumbfounded, stuttering blankly to say something. It had been years since he had ever seen anyone cry.

"You - why - are you -" then the passion flared back in his heart and he turned on her fiercely.

"Don't you start crying, damnit! What the hell do you have to cry about? You should be happy you're alive -"

"Well aren't you the sensitive one, _Prince_," snarled Katara angrily. "Can't I shed a few tears forthe departed every once in awhile?"

This answer something Zuko did not expect. He thought she would go on about how horrible it was to be stranded on this island, how she would be stuck here forever and that she'd rather die than live in this filthy place... or something else about as stupid as that. He was surprised to find that after years of accurately predicting the actions of everyone around him, she was the one who eluded his conclusions.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, the fire bender reached into his pocket as Katara raised her hand to wipe her eyes. She felt a soft grip on her wrist and something cold was placed in her hand.

When she opened her eyes, her mother's necklace was lying in her palm. Zuko's hand was leaving hers.

She looked at him, bewildered, as his shoulders shook slightly. When his golden eyes met hers he seemed to falter and he looked away, squinting his scarred eye.

"You...that is yours. It's no use to me. The Avatar's long gone and you can't help."

It was as he stepped away from her he felt it, for the first time in his life; the soft, delicate touch, something of peace and comfort that he had always dreamed of yet despised for its beauty. Katara's hand rested gently on his shoulder and he turned, looking at her with one golden eye. But in his gaze there was no anger, there was no disgust. He was astonished, taken back by the magic that flowed through her, her subtle beauty, her perfect touch...

She walked up to him, face to face, making sure he could see her clearly. Something in the way his body tensed made her feel theflow of ragingfire that threatened tospill from him. It sparked on every inch of his body, the heat of his inner element, the fury he bound with fiery chains. Her hand was still resting on his bare shoulder, her clear, icy eyes staring into his scarred ones without fear. She could feel the flames pumping through him.

"...thank you, Zuko..."

Zuko realized he was shaking and stepped back, swallowing hard. He shook his head briefly, knocking all thoughts from his mind, and looked back at her with renewed intensity.

"We can stay here for the night. There are bedrooms upstairs that the preachers used to sleep in. I'll... I'll go outside and light a fire on the ridge. It's almost night fall...hopefully a ship will see it and pick us up." He left swiftly, determined to get away from her, and stumbled out onto the ridge.

Katara watched him go, trying to make sense of it in her mind. Zuko was terrible, brutal, apathetic to everything...but the moment she had put her hand on him he had frozen, gone wide-eyed. Could he feel the element in her the same way she felt it in him? A bender had to be like their element, or they could not control it. Perhaps the reason Zuko was so fierce was because he was fire bender...but no, that wasn't it. She had seen it, within the golden hue of his fearsome eyes. Something deeper, something that tore him apart each day and forced him into the mold of the monster he threatened to become.

But her thoughts faded with the falling sun and she ascended into the temple, tying the necklace around her throat and whispering a goodnight to the spirit of her mother.

* * *

_You are weak._

Zuko threw his arm out and roared, sending a blinding flare from the ends if his fingers. The heat was intense and he struggled to keep it under his control. But the angrier he became, the hotter his passion, and the fiercer the fire that escaped him. Parts of his hands begn to burn, as well as flashes of skin on his upper arms.

_You could've killed her._

Zuko thrashed about, tearing up the earth with both hands and feet, the fire consuming his confused body with the same ferocity it used to consume everything else around him. He moved so fiercely and precisely that anyone watching would have ducked for cover, fearing for their life. Moments before barreling into a large oak tree a sudden thought hit him and he stopped short, staring blankly at the broken, burnt bark.

_No...I couldn't. I couldn't kill her._

The fire died down from his fist and vanished in a faint trail of smoke. His golden eyes stared at the tree trunk, as though hisquestion was directed at mother nature and he expected her to answer. From down the side of the cliff, he could hear the faint rumble of the waterfall. His eyes shook and he lowered his hand, both energy and anger disappearingwith the falling of the sun.

_Why couldn't I?_

He was dumbfounded by his own question. The sound of water thundered gently in his ears as he stared, blankly, his thought all focused on the unanswerable question. Did he feel guilty because of the Avatar? No, he had repayed his debt. And it would be much easier to travel without her, but...he...he could barely look at her, could not even imagine spilling her blood...

_But I have hurt her_, he reminded himself. He had grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back on the beach. That had been the first and last time he had mentioned the Avatar, and for some reason the memory of that fight sickened him.

Now he was completely relaxed, his arms hanging limplywhere he stood, still staring stupidly at the tree.

_Why couldn't I?_


	5. Chapter 5

Sokka looked out at the ocean, his lower lip quivering. Then he threw back his head and burst out sobbing.

"Kataraaa!...little sister...WHY?"

Aang finished wrapping the white clothe around Appa's leg and a vein in his head twitched. He was getting really sick of the sudden bouts of agony that whined, incessantly, from the normally blunt teenage warrior.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sokka!" he yelled fiercely, grabbing Sokka's shirt and shaking him vigorously out of his sobs. "Katara's fine, will you relax? She's on an island, this area has a lot of them, see?"

He pointed out into the ocean where several dark dots littered the horizon's sparkling waves. The islands were small, but numerous and dense with all forms of life. At the sight, Sokka's watering eyes snapped open and he danced for joy, continuing to cry from his own happiness.

"Katara! She's alive, she's on an island! And -" he paused suddenly and turned back to the Avatar.

"Why didn't you tell me this in the last three hours I was crying?"

Aang gave a quirky little smile and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I would have, but while you were busy crying, I was fixing the wound in Appa's leg." he said, leering at the warrior and pointing towards the giant bison, who lay groaning at the end of the beach. Momo scuttled towards it and held out a big melon, which Appa gulped down without even chewing. Momo seemed angry to see the melon go, but ran back into the forest to fetch another one for his injured friend. Sokka saw the bandaging on the bison's leg and sweat dropped.

"Oh...right. Well how long until he can fly again!"

"Relax Sokka, just a few days. And then we can scan all the islands. Katara is smart, she won't get into any trouble. Besides, she knows all those water bending moves - and there's a lot of water around here for her to protect herself with."

Sokka looked out at the waves and paused. His attention focused on the Avatar and confusion lit up his features.

"I don't get it Aang. How can you be all positive and cheery about this? I mean, we saw Katara fall -"

"I just have fath in Katara, Sokka, and I know that she's alright!" said Aang, grinning at his friend. Sokka raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged it off, gazing back out into the ocean. Aang turned back toward Appa and his smile faded.

"Please...let her be alright," he whispered.

* * *

Zuko did not see her for the rest of the night. His thoughts were in other places, other times; he did not feel the cold air stinging his bare side, or the bitter stone that longed to blister the soles of his feet. He was caught, momentarily, in the charming promises of some artificial reality which he had never dared to enter before. He noticed a nightingale in his window as the night grew late around him, settling its shadows into the abandoned room and running races through the hallways of the tower. The legendary bird, all bathed in silver moonlight, gazed down at the Fire Nation Prince with a dark stare that held a depth of innocence and wisdom which he had never see before. Just as he reached up to run his fingers through the brilliant bird's feathers, it let out one long, glorious note and sped off into the night.

The sound pierced his ears and he flinched visibly. A single flame escaped his fingers, but he was too confused to e angry anymore. He needed to rest, but he knew that in the morning he would have to figure this girl out, have to get them rescued, have to make sure they could survive until a ship came -

_Them? They? _

Zuko grit his teeth and held his head in both hands. He could feel the loose hair from his ponytail brush across his hands and his mind flashed to a sudden image of her hair, fluttering gently across her eyes.

He growled furiously and tore his hands from himself with a flash of flame.

_Stop thinking. Stop feeling. You're confused because you're feeling again. Burn it out of you._

Zuko, fuming, threw himself to the ground and fire consumed him. He cried, brief and low, as the flames seared his arms and threatened to engulf the rest of his body. He tried to focus on the source of his anguish, and her face appeared again before his eyes. He roared, the heat strengthening around him, but he paused suddenly in complete wonder and his gold eyes relaxed.

His body entire body was aflame, roaring furiously, and inferno of red and orange that blinded his sight and strained the endurance of his sweating body. But he was hotter than he had ever remembered being, lying on his knees, face to the floor, watching the flames glance off the thick stone. He was raging, her eyes gazing at him as the fire burned, uncontrollable...but he could not feel it. He shook his head and the fire went out with little effort as he crouched there, bewildered. It wasn't until later, when he walking down the steps of the temple in search of water, did he notice the lines of dark burns that seared across his flesh.

Katara stared up out of her window, hearing the faint echoes of bats darting through the deserted hallways. She did not want to sleep, for her body has just regained its strength and it was anxious to be in motion. Tapping her fingers restlessly, she gazed out her window at the glittering stars and sighed as a nightingale flew past. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer, gave a sigh of frustration, and slipped own the stairs of the Fire Temple.

The night fell into Katara's gaze like a magical, glorious dream; fireflies flickered through the air and landed gently in her hands as nightingales sang in the distance, the soft symphony of their voices drifting sweetly through the ragged cliffs. She felt a need to break into dance, to sing - but a sudden, new though overtook her. She wanted to feel the rushing of clear water, the cold comfort of a gentle spring...

It took less time to climb down, mostly because they had created more sturdy footholds after disposing of all loose rock on their climb up. As Katara stepped down into the glade, she felt herself quivering with excitement. This island held the very depth and soul of water that she had been struggling to feel within herself, and she knew bending here would be an easier task than before. As she stepped down into the clear, cold water, it rose up to her knees and she rolled up her pants, pondering the depth of the pool. She rolled up her sleeves as well, preparing herself for what she knew would be a serious bending practice. Her hands spread before her, palms open, she looked down into the dark water and focused her attention the cold layers of life that flowed, gently, around her feet.

She would make it slice the air, she decided; the whip was getting easy and she wanted to attempt another trick, one that required more focus, more control. She would raise her hand and the water would follow, forming itself into a swirling, glittering sphere; as she released it from her it would crack into a blade of ice, slice whatever lay in its path, then melt instantly to water again and fall back under her control.

As she raised the water into the air Zuko stepped from behind the brush, silent and undetectable even when he wasn't paying attention. When he saw her bending he froze, watching as her body swayed slowly, fluidly, her eyes staring at the water.

She pulled back her arm and threw it forth, but the result was disastrous. True, the water turned to ice as it was supposed to, but it had frozen into a strangely twisted shape and spun off in some random direction that Katara had no intention of sending it. The outcome of her attempt infuriated her.

"No! No way! I had it! No -"

She stopped suddenly as she caught Zuko's eye, which gazed at her in both humor and amazement. She saw the laughter hovering at his lips and her face turned red.

"You - what - what do you want? I'm busy."

Zuko just looked at her, trying his best to keep a straight face. He shook his head, but a sudden thought popped into his mind and he looked back up at her.

"What's your name?"

This question was so sudden that Katara just stood there for a moment, stunned. Her name? He knew her name! Of course, she had told him...she knew his name and...wait...he didn't know her name...

"..I...Katara. Katara, alright? Is that all you wanted?"

Zuko just laughed and shook his head, walking up beside her as she huffed, annoyed but no longer angry. The Prince bent down and scooped a handful of water into his mouth. As he did so, moonlight flickered down his arms and Katara gasped.

She reached out instantly to touch the wounds before Zuko had time to react and began to interrogate him.

"Zuko - are you -"

But Zuko knew her question and forced her away with a violent shove before she had time to ask. The darkness enclosed him protectively and he glared at her, flame flickering between his fingers. Instantly, Katara knew that any mention of burns were out of the question.

"...sorry..."

At the weak note of her voice the flames disappeared and Zuko mentally cursed himself. There he went again, being the tough, rude, uncaring person he had forced himself to be...no, the person he was, the person he woudl always be. And she would always be quiet, be weak, the one who gave a constant sorry, was always forgiving...it was the curse of their elements, the way the fire ran through him, searing in his anger. The way the water flowed through her, peaceful, gentle...

"You need to feel it, you know," he whispered. Katara, startled, gazed warily at him.

"What?"

"To bend it. You need to feel it."

Katara froze a moment, trying to understand what he was so briefly explaining. The moment she realized he had seen her failure and was trying to teach her how to water bend, her pride flared dangerously.

"I don't need a fire bender telling me how to water bend," she snarled and stalked away into the night, leaving Zuko alone by the side of the pool.

* * *

"We will turn our course to those islands and seek my nephew, Captain."

"With all due respect, Sir, the storm -"

"Was not as bad as you believed it to be," said Iroh instantly, angered by the Captain's reluctance. "I have seen much worse in my time, though it was quiet bad. Zuko is alive, and resting somewhere on an island, no doubt waiting for us."

"The Avatar, his steed was wounded. Zuko commanded us to -"

"Zuko is not here, therefore I will command you," hissed the old man. "If it were you out there, my nephew would pause his search to find you, as ruthless as he may seem."

The Captain swallowed and looked long and hard at the old man. Then he saluted and went below deck.

Iroh's stern expression relaxed. He was terribly, terribly afraid of his nephew's death, but what could be done? He could feel in his heart that Zuko was alive, and the Prince was the fiercest fighter he knew - who could take him down? Nonetheless he looked into the sky again, which gazed back at him with eyes made of stars and the early beginning of a full moon.

"May the Spirits of Fire protect you," he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko threw a pile of leaves onto the wood ad the fire flickered as the smoke turned black. It rose from the ground in foul clouds, staining the beauty of a light sky with something dark, rank, disgusting..A burning signal to the outside world that there was a mistake dwelling on that scratch of land, waiting to be rescued by someone with a better heart than himself. He was an unholy blot slashed on a flawless background of sky, a black sin that had corrupted the face of an innocent. His heart was gone, clawed and torn until it was nothing left but a confused, vile pit of ferocity that grew from its own dead remains, back-stabbed, and devoured itself.

Katara placed her canteen of water down beside him and wiped her forehead. She was oblivious to Zuko's thoughts and was determined not to look and/or speak to him, fearing he would bring up the uncomfortable events of the night before. But Zuko had deemed the memory unimportant, besides the fact that he had finally learned the girl's name. Katara herself was seeking an excuse to speak, not quiet knowing how to pass the time with the Fire Nation Prince.

"So...why is this temple deserted? I mean...I've never seen a fire bender temple before and...this isn't..." she stuttered quietly, but when Zuko's shoulders tensed she backed off. He had not, however, gone rigid from any offense of the question;

She was standing on his left side, and he couldn't see her.

"This temple was a place where only the strictest preachers came," he whispered, struggling not to turn his head. Despite the fact she was nothing but a blur and it would be much easier if he simply turned his head, something in his pride restrained him. He had to pretend he didn't care, didn't have an opinion on the question. "My...father used this place as a safe house for his warriors. Earth Nation attacked the troops one night...they were defeated, but the preachers...I suppose no one bothered to come back after that."

He cringed inwardly at his own insensitive account of the island; he, of course, had not been present during the fight, but knew from the stories of his Uncle that it was a gruesome ordeal. A lump of guilt formed in his chest and his eyes wavered a little as he stared into the flames of the fire. Katara, on the other hand, was secretly fuming from the short and brutal tale and she stood, crossing her arms and turning her back to Zuko.

"So, your father sacrificed those preachers to trap Earth Nation. Like father like son, then."

Zuko insides burst into sudden ruthless flame and he turned on her, a volcanic inferno. He grabbed her arm with a hand that was unlit and she gasped at the unbearable madness burning in his eyes. His voice was low, shaking with the unbound pain of this injustice.

"My father is a coward and a murderer," he hissed, he flaming fist inches from her face. His grip on her arm was strengthening and Katara, terrified, could do nothing but stare into the captivating ferocity of his tortured eyes. "You will never, _never_, compare me to him.You do not know me."

He released her and she stumbled back with tears in her eyes. The golden gaze of Zuko's eyes stared at her for a moment longer, until the flame in his fist died down and faded away. He turned away from her, but Katara's fury had not been released. Hissing between clenched teeth, she glared at the Prince's back and rubbed the sore spot on her arm.

"You think you're the only one who knows pain, don't you?" she whispered venomously as Zuko listened, unmoving. "You think you're the only person who's felt like the world has turned against them, like the earth's been ripped from under you, like everything and everyone you love has been ripped away!" she screamed, leaping towards Zuko's side again. He froze as she entered his blind spot and ground his teeth.

"All this time I thought you were some, uncaring, unfeeling monster," she snarled. But her tone slowly faded as she went on, Zuko's scarred eye still squinted and refusing to look at her.

"You...you force yourself on this ridiculous journey to find the Avatar, for who? For yourself? Do you want glory or fame or something?"

"No," whispered the Prince faintly. Her words were slowly cutting into his heart, but that wasn't possible...he didn't have a heart...

"Then what?" said Katara softer, seeing the anger fade from Zuko. "Why are you doing this? You make yourself so...angry...so apathetic. Look at me, Zuko..."

Zuko's lip quivered slightly and he bit his tongue.

"I can't, Katara."

The sound of his voice speaking her name, for the first time, made something deep inside of her shudder. Every word he said was surrounded with this harsh, bitter tension that was never quiet wiped away...but when he said her name, it was clear and smooth, like a drop of calming water within the desert of his words.

"What do you mean, you can't?"

Zuko was still staring straight ahead. He refused to turn his good eye on her, refused to allow the vision of her peaceful features, all lit with concern and curiosity and anguish...anguish he had caused, anguish his father had caused, anguish the nation caused, that the very fire running through his veins had caused...he shut his eyes from frustration and ground his teeth until he feared his gums would bleed. He was about to storm away again, but Katara knew his plan and was determined to stop him.

Zuko didn't really remember how it happened. All he knew was that he was suddenly staring, with both eyes, straight into this endless pool of something cold, clear and soothing; her hands were pressed to the side of his face and he could feel the cool comfort of her touch beginning to melt him. She blinked slowly and he couldn't help but stare at the movement of her long eyelashes flashing across icy pools.

"Fire Nation killed my mother," she whispered gently, but her eyes were fierce. Zuko gazed, lost for words, as the water bender continued. "Fire Nation took my father away. But it was Fire Nation that did that...your father..."

Her gaze fluttered on him as she realized the burden on his shoulders...the guilt that rained down on him every hour, every day...the inescapable pain he was forced to endure...

"...and you're the one who suffers..."

He trembled, his body threatening to break down, but he held his composure as he pushed away. Katara's hands fell, her hearttorn and confused, his voice drifting back to her ears.

"I'm sorry, Katara..."

He was staring at his hands again. Those horrible, ruthless hands that vomited flames from the pit of his dark fury, the palms that were woven with soft lines of his own destiny, his future pain, all the twists and turns and torment he was fated to endure because of his Nation, because of his father, because of the Avatar...and out of all people, he had ended up on an island with the one person who could reach into the depths of his pain and make him feel like...he wanted to do anything and everything he could to help her. But what could he do? Her mother was dead, and he could not give her life again...

"The actions of my Nation will always be blamed on me..." he whispered, clenching his hands into tight fists. "...and I will bear them, all of them, even if I never gain back the respect of anyone. I'm sorry, Katara...I'm so sorry..."

He slid away from the fire, completely at a loss to find a definition to the guilt and pain he felt. Katara stood there, silent as stone, appalled with herself.

* * *

"Why won't you get better already? Shouldn't flying bison heal with magic or something?"

"Sokka, yelling won't make Appa get any better any sooner. Relax, I found some Leechy Nuts!"

The warrior sweat dropped and stared at Aang, who was gobbling the little red nuts with Momo at his shoulder.

"What happened to all those melons Momo was getting? Lemur! Go find us more melons!"

Momo looked at Sokka, quivered his ears, and then pounced on his head.

"What - NO! MOMO! You little -"

Appa groaned in what might have been a deep-throated chuckle as Sokka fumed. Aang watched, bursting into laughter at the comical antics of the pair.

"Sokka, Momo only got the melons cause Appa needed them. He probably won't go through all the trouble again." The lemur made a funny little squeak and settled back onto Aang's shoulder. Sokka's stomach groaned and he glared out at the ocean.

"Wherever you are, Katara, I hope you're having the time of your life...with lots of food. So you can save me some..."

* * *

She saw him standing quietly by the pool, lost to reality as he watched the flickering, rainbow lights of the cascading waterfall. She swallowed and approached him, trembling with anxiety, unsure of what his reaction to her appearance would be.

He didn't realize she was there until he felt the cool, calm touch of her skin on his; he shuddered and turned as her hand left his shoulder, finding himself face-to face with those captivating, soothing, deep eyes...and what she said, what she said to him made everything in the world seem to vanish in a moment, carried away like some fleeting nightmare he no longer feared...she gave him a different strength, something other than his physical endurance, his mental will...she gave him something that made all the chains on his heart melt away, made the fires of his fury die out. Her voice held a note that no one had ever sang to him, a promise that no one else had ever kept...she was beauty...she was forgiveness.

"It not your fault, Zuko..."

And as she put a hand to his face his heart flared in sudden fear. Because for the first time in his life, he believed those words. He believed her. With every ounce of his mortal body...he believed her.


	7. Chapter 7

Zuko tripped, broke his gaze on her, and ran.

His feet sank, loud and heavy, into the flying earth, the trees tearing at his flesh, the thorns mocking each step he took as he bolted, heedless of the gashes, the scars, the blood that was running down his arms. He didn't stop when his foot caught a root and he crashed into the underbrush, forcing the jagged ground into the side of his scarred face with the ferocity of flaming knives; he limped up, his ankle twisted and screaming. But the curse of the unmerciful jungle could not pull him down. He had to get away from her.

He stumbled out onto the beach a bloody, burned mess. He lost his footing in the sand and fell to his knees the wet earth beside the sea. He could not support himself and fell forward, pressing both palms into the sand, his elbows locked. The tide lapped up around him, soaking his knees and causing an unpleasant stinging in the cuts on his hands.

_Apathy. Anger. Uncaring. Unfeeling. Fire._

He had...what had he done? He had told her...he was sorry..._he had felt guilt. He had apologized._

"Zuko..."

He spun, all scars and burns, his body flaming. He had to erase her, completely erase her.

"Get away from me," he snarled. His arm flashed and a flicker of red glittered briefly in Katar's eyes. She dropped to the ground as the flame rushed by her, blazing, threatening to creep across her own unresisting flesh. The look in Zuko's eyes was something she could hardly stand to see; his element had consumed every last scrap of soul inside of him, his mind blinded and devoured in a hellish blaze.

"You tried to make me _weak!_ -" he roared, punching his fists towards her in quick, furious succession. She bended water from the ocean and neutralized each one, but barely; evading an underestimated blow, she ducked down, feeling the heat scorch the side of her face. Zuko's reason had been destroyed, his anger overpowering every last morale thought in his head. Now he knew his weakness, knew the parts of himself he had to destroy...and the girl he had to destroy...

"You tried to make me guilty, you tried to make me feel, you tried to make me _sorry_...you're a fool of a water bender who thinks life can be lived with _feeling_, with _caring_...and you tried to make me what I wasn't, you tried to make me pity you -"

He lashed out at her, roaring, flaming, lost to the hell of his own body -

Katara ducked, swirled th water in her hands, and sent a perfect, brutal water whip at the Prince.

It his him squarely in the chest and he stumbled back, leaving the beach. The sea foam gathered around his legs as he toppled into the shallow water, catching the loose sand beneath the water for support. In moments he was drenched, held up by his elbows, the fire of his body vanished with the onset of cool waves.

Katara stared at him, her hands still poised in bender position in case he tried to get up again. Her eyes were shaking, filled with unreasonable tears.

"You're not the one controlling the fire, Zuko," she whispered. Zuko tried to stand, tried to turn and fight, but every time he did so some new wound on his body would sear and he would fall back into the waves, helpless. Katara glared at him, momentarily, and then let her hands fall. "...you're letting it control you."

Zuko just stared into the waves, the sea water dripping down his face, his body drenched and shivering. His hair was loose again and the wet strands of it stung his scarred eye as he watched the light glitter faintly in the water. He had never felt so completely pitiful in his entire life. Katara stared at him as his shoulders began to shake, his body momentarily cooled from any raging fire. His forehead touched the surface of the water as he knelt there, utterly rejected by the world.

And as Katara walked out into the cold waves, something happened.

Zuko, the infamous, apathetic, banished Fire Nation Prince, began to cry.

And Katara - though she couldn't understand why her heart ached at his anguish, why she felt the need to comfort this horrible, tormented person - knelt down into the bitter, knee-deep water and held him through his sobs.

* * *

Iroh stood on the deck of his ship, gazing out into the desert of waves before him. A sailor stood beside him with a telescope, watching the islands as they passed. The Captain, his eyes baggy from nights of searching, joined them at the front of the ship and stood beside Iroh.

"The scouts are returning from the last island. He was not there."

Iroh face changed to a serious frown and he joined his hands behind his back.

"What about the old temple island? Have you checked there?"

The Captain paused and shook his head.

"We wanted to check the three closer islands before we went that far. There is more of a chance he is on a nearby isle, isn't there?"

Iroh was thinking deeply, consulting with the fire spirits that were buried in his ancient soul. In his mind's eye, the island's deserted temple continued to appear.

"Very well. But if he is not on any of those, we go straight to the temple island. No delays."

* * *

Katara ripped the white clothe with her teeth and finished wrapping Zuko's arms. They were bandaged now from the elbows down, and id you added Zuko's bare chest, ripped pants and facial scar it gave him the appearance of a fire-bending rogue warrior. Which, he had to admit, made him feel a little more confident.

"Where di you find this bandage?" he question her as she replaced the clothe back in the dirty, burnt box she had found it in. She looked up at him and smiled, her facing lighting like an angel.

"There were Fire Nation soldiers here, right? So they just left behind some bandage...it was in my room."

Zuko smiled weakly at her, still astonished at her selfless yet confusing personality. She looked at her handiwork on his arms and stood, grinning.

"So, the burns will take a little longer to heal, but since you're a fire bender they should go away pretty quick. There's some melons in my room that I found...you can eat those if you want, but be careful cause some of them have worms in them."

She started to leave the room and Zuko stared at her, wondering where...then he mentally kicked himself before beginning to follow her.

"Where are you going?" he asked quietly as she turned in the doorway. Her smile flickered again.

"To practice my bending. You can come, just as long as you don't laugh at me again."

Zuko grinned and shook his head, following her down the broken temple steps and out onto the dusty, sun-stained ridge top. They both gazed back, momentarily, as the last rays of light glittered across the island.

The walls of the temple gleamed brighter whenever the sun rose or set; it was an ancient trick of the preachers, that the sides of the sanctuary should be painted with a special gloss only found in Fire Nation. When the flames of the sun were in the right position, red light skimmed across the surface of the steps, the walls, the shaking, broken foundations and the damaged, vine-plagued towers; the temple lit up like it had been made of fire itself, a legendary, glowing beacon where spirits sought refuge in the night.

They skid down the slope together and struggled through the trees to reach the glade; the fireflies were just beginning to appear and Katara giggled as one landed on the back of her hand. Zuko caught one and put in her hair, to which she was not as much amused; but she got her revenge when she splashed him at the base of the waterfall.

"Alright," she muttered, cracking her knuckles. Zuko seated himself on a rock beside the cascading waters and settled his attention on the water bander, who focused on the pool and began stir the life at her fingers.

_Move it, ice, melt it, bring it back..._

She stirred the essence into a swirling sphere again, concentrating on what she would do with it, what she would form it into...She flicked it from her with what she believed to be excellent precision and control - until she opened her eyes and saw Zuko gasp and leap out of the way of her flying icicle.

"No! No! Why can't I do this..." she ran over to Zuko to help him up, but paused when he turned to her, shaking his head.

"I told you, you have to feel it," he said, begging her to understand with his eyes. Katara frowned and turned back to the pool.

"You're a fire bender, Zuko -"

She felt his hand on her shoulder and turned towards him, feeling a warmth beginning to stir through his veins. Until this moment she had hardly noticed hw cold she was compared to him. Where his touch was fire, hers was ice; where his was rigid, flaming, hers was gentle, soothing...

"I still understand it, Katara," he whispered. He stepped away from her, bringing his arm back in a reflection of the move she had just attempted, and let the fire whip from him in the motion she had been trying to duplicate. Still she glared at Zuko, pride flaring.

"It's different, you don't have to change it to ice and back and -"

"Katara," said Zuko softly, stepping back towards her. He raised a hand and his fingers lit up with yellow flame. "Fire and water are opposites, but they both have the same motion, the same flow, the same delicacy. Fire is controlled with pain, with passion..."

He stepped away from her and fire began to swirl around him, appearing in fierce flashes that blinded her, her eyes used to the comforting darkness of night. Katara felt like shielding her eyes but she was curious as to what Zuko was planning to do.

He was moving like a snake, twisting and sliding his feet across the earth in strange, flowing patterns that mimicked some sort of mysterious ritual; the fire glittered from his fingers and danced around his body, never still, always forming into something new, beautiful, dazzling...he stood into a straight stance and the fire swirled up his side, gentle but bound with fury, and erupted above him in the glorious form of an eagle, wings spread, gazing down at them in mid-flight.

The fire-bird vanished and Zuko relazed, looking back at the water bender.

"Water is controlled with peace, with understanding. Sometimes you feel it, and sometimes you try too hard...you have to let it flow with you, be part of you..."

"Only a part, though," whispered Katara gently. "Not the whole thing." Zuko smiled weakly.

"Right."

Katara stepped back into the water and stared, focusing on the depth, the cold, peaceful essence...the glittering light from the fire flies, flickering across the surface...the light rush from the waterfall, the calming touch of cool serenity, the quiet motion of life and understanding that flowed in her body, flowed through the water lapping her ankles..she would make it part of her, the way she breathed, thought, felt...

Her hand raised again and she knew the water raised with it; she did not see it form the sphere, but felt it in front of her, swirling slowly in readiness. Her thoughts gave into sudden joy that she was finally doing it, finally mastering the water - al she had to do was flick it away and -

Something stung her face and she realized she had lost control again. She stomped the water impatiently and Zuko shielded himself from the splash, struggling to control his laughter.

"What now? I had it -"

"Yes, you did," said Zuko instantly, his face still smiling with amusement as he spoke. "But it's when you try to shift into different phases you start to lose it...don't force it to change, flow with it, let it change with you...here..."

He hesitated a little before stepping behind her, forcing himself almost knee deep in the cool water. Katara felt his palms press softly against the back of her hands, his arms mirroring the motions of her own, his chest brushing her back. She had a momentary desire to scream, freak out and push him off with a water splash, but resisted. Whatever Zuko was doing, it was helping her master water bending. Besides, if he tried anything she could grab the waterfall over there and plow him into the ground...then his voice breathed against her ear and Katara's body trembled.

His breathe was slow and warm; she could feel the inner fires of his body moving in quick flashes as he placed his hands on hers, directing her what steps to take.

"Now try," he whispered. Katara raised her arms with Zuko's behind it, and the water swirled before her, majestic, gleaming, prepared for anything she had in store. Zuko watched it swirl and began to guide her motion.

"Just flow...and release."

Katara pulled back her hand in mirror of Zuko's, who took a step back, letting her go; she spun, releasing the stream of water, which flashed into a shard of ice and hacked a tree in two with flawless aim. The ice shard sank to the ground, swirled back into water, and returned to Katara's hand. When she opened her eyes she stared at the tree, astonished.

"I...yes! I did it! Zuko -"

She turned to find him gazing at her, smiling. The expression was something he hardly ever wore on his face, and it pulled at something in the depths of Katara's heart. She gave him a small smile back and walked up to him, eyes shining.

"Thank you, Zuko," she said, gazing fearlessly into both eyes. For a moment, Zuko's old rage returned and he felt like scowling and pushing her back, angry with himself that she was such a weakness...wondered if he should kill her. But he didn't.

He couldn't.

His hands moved slowly as he stared at her, their faces inches apart, his concentration solely focused on the deep blue of those gorgeous, wonderful, all-forgiving eyes...

And from the palm of his hand, a single stream of fire flowed forth, curled delicately around his fingers, and formed the gentle shape of a flaming, red rose.


	8. Chapter 8

YAY!

Everyone who has reviewed...YOU ROCK SO HARD! Thank you! And yes, I try and update at least once a day, so if some chapters seem less detailed than others I'm really sorry, I'm not really a Spelling Bee Champ...BUT I ALMOST WAS! Oh, wait...Vandretroft. Anyways, thank you! This one is shorter, but I enjoy the cliffhanger. And, onwards!

* * *

Katara gave a soft gasp. The rose flickered gently in his palm, glowing with a muted intensity that echoed the yielding of Zuko's heart. The moment froze and they were sustained in a timeless reality, the fire fluttering delicately between them, a light that drew them from the darkness. Katara drank in the beautiful sight for a few seconds before looking up into his eyes, which hadn't left her for a moment.

He couldn't breathe. He could feel his heart...the heart he found after crying with her in the ocean, after begging her forgiveness...beating more rapidly as each precious moment passed. Her eyes were glowing with outlines of light, the reflection of the rose mirrored in the deep, endless blue waves of her gorgeous eyes...yellow streaks ran up the framework of her face as her eyes softened on him, soothing, gentle...she was captivated by the vivid gold of his scarred eyes, the torment that melted away whenever he looked at her, the peace her presence brought to him...and the strength he channeled to her.

She raised her hand, his eyes still entranced with her flawless beauty. She didn't think before she acted; the intensity of Zuko's gaze made her feel warm, relaxed...her thoughts became confused and unclear, her fingertips brushing against his in an effort to show him what the rose meant to her...

She felt a sudden bite at her fingertips and let out a gasp; Zuko, startled, pulled his hand away and the rose disappeared. Katara was holding her fingers, which had been singed slightly, but not badly burned.

Zuko stuttered for words and reached out, briefly, to take her hand; but he stopped when he realized that he was the cause of her harm. He had been a fool again, believing that his element could be controlled, thinking he could use it to...to express the passion inside, the feeling that grew for her with each passing moment...

"I'm...I'm sorry, that was stupid, I..." he faltered on his words and took a step back, putting her out of harm's way. But Katara wasn't about to let him start blaming himself again.

"No, Zuko, it's alright...it was beautiful," she smiled at him, but he could do nothing but stare, ashamed that he had hurt her again. She looked at her fingers and giggled a little, which made Zuko's insides flutter. "Beautiful, but...untouchable, I think."Zuko paused, staring, his mind numbing again as she dropped her hand, the bite of the burn no longer ailing her.

"Like you..." he whispered suddenly. Katara's eyes met his and she looked at him, confused.

Zuko couldn't bear it. That was what he had been looking for, what he had been trying to label her...the untouchable beauty. The gentle nature he would never possess, never know...the icy eyes didn't have the privilege to gaze into, the heart...he turned away, shaking his head, knowing that the water bender was still confused.

"Never mind...I should...go check on the fire..."

"Right..." whispered Katara. "I'll meet you at the temple later."

"Right." said Zuko softly.

He left her by the pool in the darkness, lighted only by fireflies and moonlight. When he had gotten far enough into the woods, he threw a flaming punch through the air. God, had he screwed up.

* * *

"Alright! Finally! Let's go find my sister!" said Sokka, overjoyed at Appa's quick recovery. Aang, who was sitting at the reins, looked down through the clouds and gave a startled gasp.

"Sokka, it's Prince Zuko's ship!"

Sokka looked over the side of the bison and down into the water, where a dark form had just drifted to the side of a nearby island. Momo gave a little screech and huddled beneath Aang's shirt as Sokka leapt back onto Appa.

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

But Aang was watching the fire benders on the shore with increasing interest; a large man was waiting on the beach while a soldier, dressed in full armor and exhausted from the heat, ran up to him, saluted, and began to talk.

"I think they're looking for someone, Sokka.."

"YEAH, Aang. They're looking for YOU. And we don't want them to find you. Keep moving, please? Try that island over there, it's got coconut trees..."

"Sokka, wait -" said Aang slowly. A creeping fear was crawling through him, something her feared to sat out loud. "What...what if Zuko captured Katara?" Sokka looked at the Avatar, startled by the idea.

"Katara...they...they wouldn't, Katara's too smart for them..."

Aang took a second longer looking at the ship, which the large man boarded again in what seemed to be a depressed mood; shaking the thoughts from his head, he spurred Appa onwards.

"Yeah, Sokka...you're probably right..."

* * *

Katara gazed down into the pool and closed her eyes again.

The sounds of the waterfall faded gently away; she could feel the streams flowing by her ears, around her body, up her arms...the water fell and splashed around her, always moving in step with the steady rhythm of her slowly beating heart, her mind falling into the cool majesty of the water's gentle touch. The water threatened, briefly, to engulf her; she let it absorb her body for a moment and felt a sensation she assumed was similar to Zuko's. An strange and potent need overcame her, a need to become water, to fall into the icy depth of the pool and never come up for air...but she would drown if she let it control her, be wasted away in the deception...and she realized then why her element must be controlled, why she should never give in fully to its power...

She opened her eyes and the water drifted gently back into the pond. She looked up at the sky to see if she could recognize any of the constellations, but flinched when she felt something nip her arm.

"What? Stupid bugs -"

She scratched the bite and her attention focused suddenly on the poor condition of her skin. She had been tossed by the sea and climbing up and down ridges for the past three days, and her body was filthy.

She cringed inwardly at her state of uncleanliness and decided to wash before she went to bed; wading into the water, she headed towards the waterfall, lifting up her shirt as she went.

* * *

Zuko poked the fire restlessly. The dark horizon was blank, void of search lights or lanterns of ships; he grumbled and put his chin in his hand, irritated that they hadn't been rescued, that he had acted so stupidly around Katara...

_Why the hell do I care so much? Why did I make her a stupid flower...why..._

He poked the fire again and let the flames slide up his bandaged arms. There was something odd about the way he treated his element now...it was no longer this fiend threatening to consume him, this terrible demon that burned constantly within his heart, glaring, angry. Now he could control it...now it had become what, he supposed, other fire benders saw it as. A trusting ally, a part of himself that turned and flowed with his own emotions, a changing, growing flame that no longer forced him to fury each time he drew it from his fingers.

With that his mind turned to Katara and her mastery of water bending; he wondered, briefly, if she was still by the pool practicing. He smiled, wanting to see if she could repeat the trick without his help. Running his hand through the flames, the fire became a brilliant glow and he stood, knowing it would burn for at least another hour.

Smiling at the thought of walking into the glade with water flying everywhere, he turned from the ridge and began to descend the slope, the shadow of the temple at his back.


	9. Chapter 9

Katara let the water rush over her, cool and delicate, brimming with healing comfort that washed away all the grime from her body. She had always loved the feeling of cleanliness, and bathing beneath a waterfall made her grow quiet, drifting away until she herself became part of the ancient, glorious spirit the island held. The fireflies glittered around her, mystical, almost unearthly in their faint, reflective glow, the hidden magic flowing through the soft rainbow of the waterfall as it glittered down the length of her body.

Zuko's leg caught a root and he frowned as it twisted around his ankle. As he struggled to get loose he called ahead, to where he could see the first glimmers of the water's edge between the trees.

"Katara! Are you still bending? Damn tree..."

Katara's eyes snapped open.

_Oh no._

The tranquil atmosphere of the night vanished. Panicking, she ducked headlong into the crevasse behind the waterfall, crouching beside the wet rocks, and bent the water before her so her indecency was shielded from view.

Zuko got his foot free and stumbled into the glade. Katara could see his outline through the waterfall, thanking the gods that the fireflies did not fly to close to the rocks. Since there was no light around her she was all but invisible, and if she remained still he had no chance of seeing her.

Zuko glanced around the clearing, bewildered that she had disappeared. Had she gone back to the temple? Maybe...catching his reflection in the water Zuko grimaced, seeing the disgraceful scar burning on the side of his face.

He ground his teeth, furious at the sight, and threw his flaming arms towards the water. Of course, the only outcome was wet bandages and a rippling pool, but he hadn't exactly thought it through before acting. Again. Katara watched him, confused, as he knelt down by the water, clearly concerned with something and paying little attention to everything else around him.

It had been almost a long time since he had looked at his reflection. He avoided mirrors on the ship for the same reason he avoided the still water; he couldn't bear to look at his scar, the focus still blurred badly, his judgement always off because of the damage to his left eye. He reached up, slowly, to touch the outline of his face while Katara watched, intrigued.

When his fingers traced the scar he flinched visibly, and Katara's heart slowed. For a moment, she tried to picture him without his scar; a whole face, unblemished, free of the constant anguish that the scar now represented. But she could not put the vision together in her head. For as long as she had known Zuko, she had known him with his scar...the scar that now inflamed as a tear leaked from his squinted eye and he punched the water again, turned, and headed back up the mountain.

When he had gone, Katara bent the water away from her and went to retrieve her clothes. As she finished dressing she noticed the small mark at the end of her finger, left there by Zuko's flaming rose.

Her heart skipped suddenly. Looking up into the dark sky, she reached up to her neck and undid the strap of her mother's necklace.

* * *

"Stop there, Sokka," said Aang, leaning over Appa's side and pointing down to an island marking the horizon. Sokka groaned and loosened his grip on the reins.

"We already looked there, Aang. Let's try that one - the Fire Nation ship hasn't been there yet," he pointed out to a small patch of land on the horizon, where something white and broken jutted from the side of the cliff. Aang squinted his eyes and studied it carefully.

"There's some sort of building on it. Ok Sokka, we'll go there first. But if she's not there, we're going back to that other island."

"The one we checked three times?"

"Yeah, that one!"

Sokka groaned at the Avatar's gigantic smile and spurred Appa towards the island. A silver moon glowed above them, a lonely figure traveling slowly across the a cloudless night sky; its bright rays shone down onto Appa's white fur and the bison shimmered, soaring through the air like the shadow of falling star. The light from his coat glimmered up beneath the Avatar's face and Aang smiled, his hope pouring from his features in the light of the moon, his eyes shining with the mental promise that he would see Katara again.

When Appa landed on the beach, its huge, padded feet were silent in the sands. Momo leapt from the bags and sniffed along the ground. As Sokka slipped from the bison's back it gave a terrified squeak as a crab clamped its nose and the poor lemur darted, helpless and pained, towards Aang.

The Avatar gave a small laugh and pried the crab's claw away from Momo. The lemur rubbed its nose and leered at the offensive crustacean, which scuttled nonchalantly back towards the sea side.

"Aang...Aang! I think I see something -"

Sokka's eye caught something dark and indistinguishable lying up the beach. Aang grabbed his glider and soared passed Sokka, who frowned and ran faster to catch up with him. Aang landed beside the dark form and turned it over with his hand.

"Sokka..."

"I'm here! I'm...I'm here!" he panted, out of breathe from chasing Aang. When he saw what Aang pointed to, however, his exhaustion seemed to vanish.

"Aang...that's...that's Katara's coat -"

"I know..."

Sokka gazed at the article, open mouthed. His eyes caught the edge of it's sleeve and he noticed parts of it were missing.

"She was burned..."

"Sokka..." said Aang quietly, his eyes shaking, "...look."

He pointed a few feet away to another dark form that Sokka couldn't distinguish. He stepped over katara's coat and knelt down beside it, lifting it int his hands. When he felt the iron breastplate and caught the glimmer of red he gave a small gasp.

"Fire Nation...but they're not here! They're behind us -"

"The ship's behind us, Sokka, not the fire benders..." Aang said as he knelt down next to the warrior and picked up a piece of clothing. "This uniform is different...it's..." Sokka stared at the armor for a long time.

"We've seen it before," he whispered. Aang took another second gazing at it and looked back down the beach. His hands were trembling.

"Zuko. He's got Katara."

* * *

"Where were you?" said Zuko, trying to sound uninterested as Katara walked up to the fire, almost skipping from the joy of being clean again. When she heard Zuko's question she handed him her canteen and sat down beside him.

"I was getting water...and then I went to the beach."

"Oh, alright," said Zuko. He handed her a piece of melon and she devoured it hungrily. He poked the fire idly, and the water bender decided upon herself that she would never repeat to Zuko the events of the waterfall. When she finished Katara glanced at him; she was seated at his right side, his scar hidden from view. The fire, red as coals in the deepening night, lighted up only half his face, leaving his scar shrouded in darkness. For a moment she noticed the gold in his eyes glaze faintly, his focus fading...the same way it had when he held the burning rose in his hand...

"Zuko..." she whispered gently, and he turned towards her. She caught a brief glimpse of the left side of his face, but continued on. "Just...don't be angry, its just -"

"You want to know about my scar," he said, his voice blunt, his expression indifferent. Katara hesitated at his reply, but nodded. Zuko turned back towards the fire and leaned back, resting on his bandaged elbows. For a second he let the flames from the fire flicker in his eyes, trying to tell her without going into detail.

"I...I was in a duel. I lost."

Katara looked at him, her gaze growing softer by the moment.

"How did you...a duel?"

"I offended the honor of...of another fire bender."

"But a duel - who would challenge you to a duel? Fire benders duel only in extreme circumstances..."

Zuko eyes squinted in slight frustration, but he knew that her questions were innocent. His insides fought with each other...he had to say something that would satisfy here, but wouldn't actually be the truth...

"It was an extreme circumstance," he said shortly. He was determined not to look at her, not to let her see the real story struggling to escape, the hidden pain behind his eyes. But Katara did not need to look at him to know what he felt; she could feel, even from a distance, the fire of his body raging in frustration as he held back from her, the flames beginning to cloud his mind again.

She shifted closer to him and he looked up at her, startled. When she was right by his side he sat up and faced her, searching those endless blue eyes for her next question.

It was strange the way the deep gold of his eyes reflected in hers; the way the icy blue of her gaze made his body relax, his tension fade, his mind go slowly numb. The way she never looked on him with disgust, with hatred...it was only kindness, only serenity...

"What happened, Zuko?" she whispered gently. The Prince gazed at her, lost for words, his mind all full of her face, the delicate lashes that fell down across her eyes, the way her lips moved when she spoke...

"I..." he wasn't really talking, wasn't even breathing...just gazing, lost the deep blue of forgiveness.. "I was in a war chamber...they were discussing...sacrificing soldiers...I told them...they couldn't betray their own recruits..."

Sokka crept up the side of the slope and saw Katara's back to him. Waving back to Aang, he drew his boomerang and continued to creep forwards. Zuko was still staring at the water bender, numb, content...

"I was challenged...I thought...I didn't...I was forced to fight...my father. He banished me, and the Avatar is the only way I can -"

Suddenly his eyes caught the gleam of Sokka's weapon and his brain clicked. Hands flaming, he leapt before Katara, who watched him breathlessly as he crouched before her, fire searing up his arms.

"Zuko, what -"

Sokka's boomerang flew andZuko leapt into the air, catching it with flaming hands, and snapped it in half. Sokka, fuming, leapt from the trees with Aang beside him. Drawing his knife, the warrior glared angrily at the Prince.

"That was my best weapon! You'll pay for that, you -"

"Aang! Sokka!" said Katara, her heart leaping. She leapt from her seat but Zuko stepped before him, his eyes fixed on the air bender.

Aang glared back and fell into fighting stance, the glider ready in his fist. Zuko's eyes roared with flame at the sight of his foe, his hope, the one thing that could bring honor back to his name, erase all this anger from his heart...the flames engulfed him as he prepared to strike, the red light glittering off Sokka's blade, Aang's hands spread wide and ready to bend, to attack.

Zuko bent his knees to take the first leap; Sokka pulled back his knife, aiming it straight into the the Prince's heart; Aang readied a blast of air before him and prepared his defense.

"STOP!"

Three separate whips of water overthrew them all; Sokka went down, the temple in his head throbbing angrily, as Aang sat up and shook his head from shock. Zuko stood almost instantly afterwards, but his arms did not burst into flame again.

All eyes were on Katara, who guided the water back into her canteen and glared.


	10. Chapter 10

AHHH OMG EVERYONE ROCKS!

I love all of you! You are mad awesome!

cue the over-enthusiasm

And by the way, it is my custom to thank everyone who reviewed for me at the end of the story, so I'll have lots of personal thank yous later...and...YAY

* * *

"No one's fighting," she hissed, her hands spread but shaking, the faint glow of the fire lighting her furious glare. "Got it? No one's fighting."

Sokka stared at her, eyes wide, his jaw dropped and hanging. He was stunned, the blade still raised in his hand, but he had momentarily forgotten the enemy that stood before him. Aang was paralyzed, completely baffled at the water bender's odd request. He blinked his eyes in rapid succession, rubbing them hard but briefly, and refocused his gaze on Katara as if she was some sort of ghost. Zuko just stood and gazed at her, expectant, the angry fire still threatening his inside as he struggled to keep it in control.

"Katara...what are you doing? He - he -" Sokka's stuttered, lost for words. His eyes watered suddenly and his lower lip began to quiver; then he dropped his hands and burst out into a series of tremendous, howling sobs. "He...broke...my_ boomerang _-"

"Sokka, we can fix your boomerang..." said Katara slowly, even though the weapon lay in pieces on the ground and seemed beyond any repair. Yet even with her heart aching to grab her despairing brother in a fierce hug she knew she had to keep peace. Her arms remained in bender position and she continued her glare. "But we're not fighting. We're going to talk, honest and slow, and figure this out. And if any of you tries anything, I recently mastered a higher level whip that you do not want to mess with."

Aang stared, bewildered, the Fire Nation Prince momentarily forgotten. He stood, using the glider for support, and blinked again, utterly dumbfounded.

"Katara...do you realize Prince Zuko is standing right next to you?"

Katara gave a nervous laugh and remained in her stance.

"Yes, Aang. But if this whole pursuit thing is ever going to stop, we need to -"

"I have to bring you to my father, Avatar."

He said it very shortly, very blandly, and right to the point. Sokka struggled to his feet and fire glittered between the Prince's fingers, preparing for an onslaught.

Aang stared at him, completely lost to the reality of the situation. He knew the Prince was trying to capture him, he had chased him halfway around the world in pursuit; so why wasn't he sending flames at him, roaring and stumbling through the dirt to catch him, as he had so many times before? And Katara - she was standing right beside him, fearless, not in the least disturbed by the enemy that remained close enough to reach out and send a flame right into her chest, draining the life from her in one brilliant flash...

"Why aren't you attacking me?" said Aang, his eyes squinted in confusion, determined to understand the seemingly peaceful situation. It was then that he began to fear that this was all an underhanded trick, that the Prince had fooled Katara into being peacekeeper in order to buy time; there were probably fire nation soldiers everywhere, waiting for the Prince's signal from within the trees, inside the temple. His heart began to race in panic as he listened for footsteps around him, looked for the light of a flame flashing through the air -

"She said no fighting. Didn't you hear her?" said Zuko smoothly, clearly annoyed. Sokka did a double take and stared, pointing a quizzical finger at the Prince and cocking his eyebrow.

"Since when do you listen to Katara?"

The Prince shot him a death glare and the warrior shrank back. Aang chanced a glance at Katara, whose eyes were now focused on the ground. She was debating whether or not she was, in fact, doing the right thing...but Sokka and Aang had to understand that Zuko was not a demon, he felt as deeply as they did, cared for what was honorable, cared for the well being of the people around him. Even when his untold fury consumed all the reason and rationale in his body, he could hardly stand to cause pain in ones he cared for.

He was, in fact, a lot like Aang.

"I'm not going with you. I don't care about you or your father. Now get away from Katara," hissed the air bender, the wind beginning to swirl around him. As wild gusts formed around his clenched fists, Zuko fell back into stance, but this time it was defensive.

"You're the only thing that can win back my honor and my father's respect," said Zuko slowly, his fingers to lighting with red flame. "I _will_ bring you back."

Katara was at a loss, torn between the tortured yet hopeful soul of Zuko and the angry faces of her friend and brother; but she could not let the Avatar be defeated, or the world we be lost forever to destruction and death...she couldn't let Aang suffer for Zuko's sake, couldn't let the Avatar go and doom the world...couldn't stand the look in Zuko's eyes after she had attacked, leaving him battered on the ground as she soared away on Appa...and it wasn't even Zuko's fault, all of this, it was his stupid father's -

_My father is a coward and a murderer...you will never, never compare me to him..._

Then something clicked in Katara's brain. Aang, oblivious to her revelation, drew his arm back and sent a hurling sphere of wind at Zuko, who ducked down into a roll, the dirt flying in a whirlwind about him. He flexed his arm and roared, letting loose the wild fire in his veins, the terrible, blazing fury that flew with precise aim towards the elusive Avatar. Aang responded after stirring the air about him in a fearsome tornado, finishing with a giant thrust of his own arms, wrapping the swirling winds around him and sending a channel of air to meet the fire bender's attack.

Both of them stumbled into disbelief again when Katara, fuming, flung herself between the attacks and canceled them both with a massive water sphere. The fire vanished instantly and the air repelled towards Sokka, who gaze a startled gasp and ducked out of the way just in time.

"For the last time," growled Katara, her fists shaking, the water still bent around her hands, "NO FIGHTING "

She looked between Aang and Zuko and they both gave a nervous smile. Katara relaxed, feeling the water calm her again as it flowed back to her canteen. To keep the situation under control, she needed control; she closed her eyes briefly and let the flow of serenity, the soothing presence of water's gentle essence, enter into her again and her body lost all tension. Then she remembered her idea and turned to Zuko, who was glancing between her and the Avatar.

"Your father, Zuko. Why do you want to gain his respect if he did all this to you?"

Zuko stared at her, bemused, taken back by the sudden bluntness of her question. Wasn't it obvious?

"He's my father, Katara -"

"But he's a coward and a murderer. You said so."

Sokka looked at Aang and gave a very confused shrug. Aang stood up and walked over to Katara, keeping at a safe distance from the Prince. But Zuko had momentarily forgotten him, his thought lost in conflicting emotions over his father, varying in extremes between his undying loyalty and a brilliant hatred. His father was the scum of the earth, not worthy to be called Lord...but he was still his father, right? Yeah...

"He is, but he's still -" He stopped abruptly when her fingers brushed his for a brief moment.

"He's the reason your trying to capture the Avatar," said Katara quietly. "He's the reason there's a war...which means if we defeat him, then the war can be put to an end, and you won't have to keep hunting Aang..."

Zuko stared at her, blinking just as Aang had been. Sokka finally got the energy to walk over and scratch his head, still at a loss as to what was going on.

"Katara I hardly think we can stop the Fire lord, and this guy definitely isn't trustworthy -"

"Look, everyone be quiet," she hissed. "If you'll just listen, I have an idea..."

* * *

The Captain struggled up the cliff as dawn broke, exhausted from another night's searching, angered by the constant hunt for the Prince that had now become each day's painful and aggravating duty. He grabbed a rock and pushed himself up, only to discover too late that the stone was just a loose belief he personally had no faith in. It upturned and he caught himself with his left hand before scrabbling back onto the mountain, his face glowing red from both sunburn and fury.

"Old fool," he muttered, clearly taking out his irritation on Iroh, "the kid's probably dead at the bottom of the ocean somewhere, stupid old fool..."

"Be careful how you talk about my Uncle, Captain," hissed a voice from above him.

The Captain's head shot up at the familiar voice, sharp-edged and snarling. Zuko's scarred eye was glaring at him, furious at the unwilling rescue, and the Captain began to stutter an apology as he crawled onto the cliff, standing up straight and saluting the Prince.

"Sorry, sir, I was just - the heat -"

"Save your excuses, Captain," hissed Zuko. He could feel unbridled anger beginning to flow through his veins, the fierce desire to burst into flame and punish the Captain for his offensive words. Of course, he restrained himself and turned back towards the ridge.

"It took awhile for you to find me, didn't it? All for the better. You will help me carry these hostages down the cliff. And don't complain to me about the heat."

The Captain looked startled as Zuko stalked over to his broken campsite, where he leaned down over a motionless body sprawled across the earth.

"A captive? But who -"

He gave a stunned gasp as Zuko turned back to him, Aang laying unconscious in his arms. He walked briskly past the Captain and swung the Avatar over his shoulder, beginning the descent down the cliff side.

"Get the other one. He's just a warrior, so he shouldn't be much trouble."

"Sir you - the Avatar -"

"I know, Captain," Zuko hissed, his voice growing quieter. "Now we will get them to the ship before they wake up. Or would you rather sit here and await the wrath of the Avatar?"

The Captain blinked in shock and fumbled over to Sokka, who made a muffled groan as the man picked him up and flung him across his shoulder. As both fire benders climbed down the cliff, Katara crept from the underbrush in the woods with Momo at her shoulder.

* * *

"Your father will be very proud when he sees you again, Zuko," said Iroh quietly. Zuko noticed the soft tone of praise in the deep voice and turned to his Uncle, who was sipping his tea with almost too much delight.

"I have finally captured the Avatar. Now I can return to my home and reclaim my honor."

Iroh looked down into the dregs of his tea and gave a relieved smile. A few rooms down, Aang and Sokka lay in their holding cell, still unconscious. Both had been bound and gagged so that if they awoke during the sail back to Fire Nation, they would not be a disturbance to the crew. Iroh patted his stomach as he finished his drink and stood slowly, bowing respectfully to the Prince.

"I am overjoyed that you will be returning home. I am going to play with the sailors below deck...they're getting better each time we play! Soon they may have a chance at beating me...but I wouldn't want to get their hopes up too quickly, I suppose..."

He shuffled out of the room, teacup still in hand, mumbling delightedly about the souvenirs he had bought and the way the Captain couldn't really play the pipes. Zuko watched him go, waiting in patient silence until the door clicked and closed. Then he leapt from his chair and bolted it shut.

He crept back into the room, knowing the smooth precision he would need to pull off the daring deed. Heading to the port window on the side of the ship, he clicked the rusty bolt open and the glass swung inwards. Cold wind rushed through the opening, making his eyes water and his nose sting with the sudden onset of the salty odor. He leaned out, but only just; he looked down towards the water, but his view was blocked by the swimming form of a great, brilliant bison.

Katara reached up towards him and he took her hand, pulling her into the ship. Momo made a nervous little squeak but remained on Appa, who turned its giant head and gazed up at the water bender, perplexed.

"Appa, follow the ship, but stay hidden," Katara whispered gently. Appa gave a quiet groan and Momo looked despairingly at Katara, who smiled kindly at the lemur.

"Don't worry, Momo, it won't be long. Now go before someone sees you!"

The ship was passing several large rocks and Appa managed t duck behind one before the guard, pacing on deck, could spot him. How she had managed to get a monstrous beast like Appa to swim up so close to the ship without being discovered was something that Zuko did not think she had time to explain.

Katara turned back to him, smiling that wonderful, gentle smile she always held for him; he felt his heart slow and he stumbled back to the table, where the pot of tea Iroh had left was still warm.

"Here...do you want some?" he struggled, but Katara shook her head.

"No thank you," she whispered. Zuko nodded, hesitated, and crossed the room to a large closet. He opened it and Katara could see rows of clothing hanging, the shelves filled with plates of red armor.

"If someone knocks, you can hide in here...but if you want to walk around the ship, or see the others -"

He pulled out a very tattered looking cloak, frayed about the edges and covered in grime, that didn't seem washed in ages; in his other hand he drew a matching hat, ripped at the rim but low enough to cover her face.

"You walk around the ship with a mop and pretend to be a servant. No one will talk to you - it's a rule that soldiers don't speak to the servants. Just keep your head down and they won't notice you."

Katara nodded and took the clothe from his hands, but cringed slightly at the filthy state of it. She threw it around her shoulders and fastened the clasp as Zuko watched, his gaze turning soft. He took a step towards her and she paused, meeting his gaze as he searched through the cool tranquility of her eyes.

"You really think this will work?" he whispered, expecting to find a doubt fluttering beneath the icy surface, an uncertainty drifting through her eyes. "You...you really think I can..."

"Yes," Katara said, her tone so beyond doubt that the Prince couldn't help but smile. He nodded and began to turn away, but something in the water bender's heart pulled as he began to leave.

"Zuko..."

Her voice called to him, irresistible as it had always been, and his golden eyes fell on her again. She paused, taking a long moment to take in the scar she had gotten so used to seeing.

"Could you..." she smiled gently and stepped towards him, breaking his gaze from embarrassment. "Before you go...can you...I mean -"

Zuko wondered, briefly, what she could mean by her constant stuttering; but when she made a motion with her hand he realized it indicated fire bending. She felt his hand touch hers lightly and she looked up into his eyes, seeing a smile spreading across his face. For the second time he raised his hand, letting the flames slide gently up his fingers, and her eyes fell upon the gentle light of the red rose. She smiled back, no longer minding the soft heat against her face, the dangerous yet beautiful thing that curled delicately before her. Her eyes left the rose and she looked up into the lighted features of Zuko's face, giving a quiet thank you.

And when Zuko's hand fell gently on hers, she did not resist. When their fingers entwined, briefly but tightly, she did not pull away. And when Zuko felt the soft lace of Katara's necklace slide into his palm, he knew what quiet promise she had made.

As Zuko shut the door to his room he opened his hand and let the light glitter gently across the sacred necklace. Then he tucked it behind his breastplate, shielded from the world by both armor and heart, and smiled as he approached the deck.


	11. Chapter 11

quick thing also that I keep forgetting to put up - 

If you feel like sharing, I am sort ofgetting writer's block (not for this story but for a new one) and I need a newsubject matter. I tried to make a Teen Titans one but it failed miserably. Any good suggestions?

* * *

The air was very still. The lands of Fire Nation had always been cursed with heavy humidity, the result of hundreds of years fire bending. The ground was scorched and only few patches of land were usable for crops; the streams were few and scattered about the realm, the helmed warriors abusing all resources as battles continued across the earth. The haze of red war still hung ominously in a nonexistent wind, choking the sanity from it's soldiers with the hot stillness of a thousand summers.

And all of it, was about to change.

Aang looked out the window, still bound beside Sokka, the crimson clouds hovering above the ship with greedy smiles. The air bender could feel hatred hanging around them the same way smoke hung, clouded in the heavens above, blocking the forgiving light of the sun. he shuddered, knowing the air here would be poisoned, tainted with the horror and misery of a hundred year war. He could feel the ship rocking less and knew they were pulling into a port. Now there was no going back; they were in Fire Nation, and as the door to their cell opened the Avatar's eyes fell on the only person that could save them.

Zuko walked in closely followed by a servant holding a traveling case. He had convinced the guard at the door that Katara would be cleaning the cell before taking the Avatar to his father, and the man had raised no complaints. Now in the presence of her friends - whom she had visited regularly during the voyage - she removed her hat and cloak, placed the case on the ground, and bent down beside them, taking the clothe from their mouths.

Aang smiled and stood up as she undid the ropes at his wrist. For appearance purpose Katara had only been allowed to untie them for brief periods of time, and as the Avatar rubbed his wrists while Sokka muffled something and shot a 'what-about-me?' look at her.

Katara laughed quietly and knelt down beside Sokka, leaving Zuko and Aang face-to-face.

"So now what?" he whispered quietly. Zuko reached into his pocket and drew several pieces of paper from the folds of his uniform.

"These are the forms that all Fire Nation soldiers posses. All the other sailors are off the boat, and as soon as I dismiss the guard outside the door you will be free. In the case are three outfits and armor for all of you. These papers say you have been sent by my father to join a patrol party near the North Pole. As long as you have these, no one will stop you."

"So what're you going to do?" said Sokka as Katara finished untying him. Zuko's golden gaze fell on the water bender and she saw the quiet doubt stirring behind his fearless mask.

"I'm going to begin the end of this war. When you are done training at the North Pole, send this to me."

He handed Aang a scroll, bound with the Fire Nation seal and bearing his name in the wax. The Avatar took it as Sokka began to dress in his fire bender uniform and Katara, still seeing the uncertainty in Zuko's eyes, took a step towards him. His gaze fell away from her and back to Aang.

"If I do not reply in a week, avoid the Fire Nation and complete your training elsewhere. Your bison has followed the ship, as well as the lemur. Katara has sent them up the river and you can meet them there."

Sokka put on his helmet and, though the clothes were slightly big on him, he managed to pass as a decent-looking soldiers. Aang's outfit did not, predictably, fit as well, but after inflating the loose fabris with an air bending trick he was also able to pull off the look. Katara strapped her breast plate on but paused as Zuko went to dismiss the guard.

Nearing the door, Katara took his hand and he turned back, seeking her with his eyes. Her fingers tightened around his hand.

"Whenever you need me...I'll always be there," she whispered, and Zuko couldn't keep his eyes from watering at the quiet assurance of her care for him. Gently she rested a hand on his cheek and opened her mouth, trying to force the words from her throat.

_I love you_

He pulled the necklace from his breastplate and let it shimmer gently in the red light.

"I know, Katara..." he whispered. His eyes lost focus as he gazed at her, the unfathomable depths of icy blue that he adored, cherished above all else. "...I'm going to make everything alright for you. For us." heknew exactly what she need to hear, wanted so badly to say it.

_I love you too._

Katara's eyes filled with tears as Aang, in the background, tried to get his helmet on for the third time without success. She leaned in and placed a short, gentle kiss on the Prince's lips.

He restrained a smile and squeezed her hand. As he turned to leave the room, his eyes flamed with the sudden confidence that only she could bring him.

Today, the Fire Lord would fall.

* * *

Zuko stood beside his Uncle, all seriousness, determined to hide every feeling from the eyes that gazed at him in amazement; slowly he began to ascend the stairs of the Fire Lord's palace and his strength began to fade. Focusing on an image of Katara he gave a quiet smile and raised his head into the air, placing his hands behind his back. He was adorned in the finest crimson linens, reserved only for the most important of guests. He didn't care much for ceremony, though; he knew the only reason he was welcomed with such high praise was for his supposed capture of the Avatar, and otherwise he would have been chased from the city with spears and flame.

The palace of the Fire Lord was magnificent, yet deadly. The great black towers, built from the finest, darkest stone below the earth, stretched hauntingly into a sky of scattered ashes and blinding smoke. The windows were all tinged red and orange from the fires below them, lit in giant stone basins and set for offerings to the fire spirits. The steps were just as dark, but well-paved and smooth as the iron armor on the bodies of each silent soldier. Torches lit the way, burning various colors every few steps to create a dramatic, multicolored entrance for the Fire Lord's guests. But the effect was not as impressive when the light glittered in the ruby eyes of a thousand stone gargoyles, all towering over the edges of entrances and window frames, leering with hungry faces at the flesh that stalked below them. Their bodies were aflame to represent the deadly spirit of a fire bender whenever they are aroused to battle. Their eyes were blazing the same way the Prince's eyes had roared in fury, their bodies twisted with the same wrath Zuko had once held. The portrayal, he decided, was much too realistic.

He entered the main hall and followed Iroh down the crimson carpet, past rows of guards who saluted him as he walked past. Firelight flickered off the young Prince's face, his mind decided before Iroh even opened the door to the courtyard.

The Fire Lord sat on his majestic thrown, his shoulders bent with his own greed, glaring down at the Prince with a sickening smile. The place was as large as a football field, without a single flower to decorate its scarred, burnt landscape. The trees were black and scarred and twisted in strange ways; the bushes were bear and bore no fruit for the fearsome Lord. His mighty seat was raised above al others, and the elders sat in rows on either side, never daring to speak unless the Lord indicated such. He noticed several empty seats and remembered the names of fire benders he had displaced for 'treason'. Zuko flinched inwardly at the nauseating way his coward of a father accepted him - now that he was doing what he was told.

"My son," he said slowly. The elders around him stood in their respected chairs and began their applause, fearful to do anything otherwise. Iroh smiled and backed away, expecting his nephew to fall before the lord's feet in a respectful bow. When he did no, his father studied his face more carefully; but Zuko's face held no emotion.

"You have made me very proud, my son," he went on, and Zuko ran his tongue over his teeth to stop from snarling. "Now, you can return to your rightful place as honored Prince! This is a great day for the Fire Nation, with the Avatar in hand and the Prince rightfully returned."

The elders applauded more but Zuko said nothing. His eyes were set on the Fire Lord and he began to walk towards him, keeping his mind focused on Katara.

"I am not here for formalities or praise, father," he hissed. Something in the way he said this made the elders pause in their clapping again and cast a worried look at each other. But the Fire Lord continued, his voice now strengthening with a hint of anger.

"Of course, my son," he said slower, letting each word drip from his lips with only a hint of threat. "You are here to present the Avatar. You've captured him, haven't you?"

The elders stirred at this question, awaiting the answer from the quiet Prince. Zuko stepped towards his father, resisting the urge to light his hands aflame.

"Yes, father. I have."

The company relaxed at this but Iroh, sensing the danger ahead, began to follow his nephew. The greedy eyes of the Lord bore into the young Prince.

"Bring him forth, then!"

Zuko stopped before his throne and glared him straight in the eyes. They mirrored his own; gold, intense, determined. But in his he saw greed, anger, selfishness. In Zuko's eyes was justice, was hope.

"I let him go."

The Fire Lord stared at him, refusing to believe what he had just heard. Zuko turned calmly and retraced his way down half the courtyard before hearing his father's voice again.

"If you do not have the Avatar, why do you disgrace me with your presence?"

Zuko turned and fixed his gaze on the Fire Lord. His father was standing now, his fists clenched and raging with flame, the elders sitting by him, terrified. But the eyes of that monster Zuko could see the reflection of what he used to be: the uncaring, the unfeeling, the selfish. As the flames rode up his father's arms and the courtyard began to light, Zuko turned and fully faced him.

He ripped the pointless, expensive silk shirt off and it fell to the ground like a tattered rag. Bare-chested, he secured the pony tail behind his head as the company watched in awe. Iroh gave a faint sigh and backed away, knowing what was about to take place and registering that he could not interfere.

As the anger in his father's body grew, roaring around his shaking fists, Zuko withdrew Katara's necklace and watched it shimmer briefly in the light, before he tied it securely around his upper right arm.

He did not fear his father with her precious gift so close to him; nor did he fear the whole nation, for that matter. Falling back into stance, his eyes met the Fire Lord's, his father's, the man who had caused the grief of an innocent world.

"I came to finish this war."


	12. Chapter 12

"Appa! Momo -"

Aang was cut off as Momo leapt to his shoulder and rubbed the side of his fur coat fondly against his friend. Appa groaned and Sokka, standing a little too close to the beast, was soon drenched from the bison's greeting lick. Katara laughed as the lemur scuttled over and jumped into her arms.

"Yeah, we missed you too, guys," said Aang, patting Appa on his enormous fury head, the bison still half-submerged in river water and too lazy to crawl out. Sokka wiped the saliva off his Fire Nation uniform and took off his helmet.

"Alright, now that we know where they are, can we _please _go to the market and get food?" he whined. He pulled out the piece of paper Zuko had given them and pointed to a section with a giant, eye-watering grin. "It says we can eat from any market place in the Fire Nation and we won't be charged! All you can eat, here we come..."

"I am getting kind of hungry. What about you Katara?" said Aang, noticing the silent way the water bender stroked Appa's fur, ankle-deep in river water. Water that had lost its peaceful flow, ravaged by the war and hatred that flourished through the air and twisted the calm depths of something that originally held only peace. The flames seemed imperishable, and the war...

"Yeah, I'm a little hungry," said Katara, turning back to the air bender with a little smile. "But Sokka better put his helmet back on before we go. And don't get anyone angry, because none of us can do any fire bending."

Sokka grumbled and struggled to get his helmet back on, groaning about the armor being too hot and heavy. Katara watched for a moment and then let her eyes drift over the city.

There was a glitter on the horizon as a gong was struck; it was hit three times in quick succession, each note louder than the previous, booming out across the city, a messenger of peril. Men and women began to creep from their houses and soldiers left their guard duties to see the commotion; the great, booming sound was a sudden glimpse of the past, the herald of change that the Nation had not heard for a hundred years. As the soldier continued to strike the gong, Katara looked up at the curving, black towers on the horizon, bewildered.

She ran up the street and past all the riverside brush that concealed Appa from the city. The weight of the armor beat down the endurance of her body and she was forced to travel slower than usual, her feet clad in heavy shoes with a breastplate hanging from her shoulders. As she reached the street she nearly overturned an unguarded cabbage cart and stumbled onto the paved road, the gong still ringing in her ears. She could hear Aang and Sokka following her, confused to her sudden disappearance, but that great, horrid sound was something her ears had never had to suffer before. It rode upon the wind, laughing in devil's tongues, burning the ears of all who listened with a terrible secret it had yet to reveal.

Katara sped up to the owner of the cabbage cart who was staring, open mouthed and with the slightest hint of fear, at the giant building on the horizon. Katara tapped him on the shoulder and he leapt, cowering.

"Oh - good evening, sir, I -"

"Why - um - Why are they sounding the gong?" said Katara in a huffy, deep throated voice that she hoped passed as manly. The man seemed to buy it and he continued to cower, hands above his head.

"Well, I'm not sure, sir, but it always sounds when a change is happening - there was a - a rumor among the other vendors - just a rumor, of course, nothing to take seriously - but they spoke that someone - they don't know quite who - has challenged the Fire Lord to Agni Kai, but that's a ridiculous proposition -"

Katara tuned him out as he babbled on, and Sokka panted up beside his sister, clearly annoyed at having to constantly chase people around.

"I'm not...that hungry, Katara...you could've gone...a_ little _slower...stupid uniform.."

"Katara, are you alright?" said Aang instantly, noticing her motionless state. The cabbage man sweat dropped at the appearance of three fire benders and crawled back to his cart before begin noticed. Katara's hands were trembling slightly.

"I knew he was going to do this, but..."

"But what?" said Sokka instantly. "It was your idea! Well, I mean, Zuko changed it, he decided to do it himself and all -"

"I know," said Katara slowly. "I just..."

"You have a bad feeling about it," said Aang slowly, stepping up beside her. Katara nodded her helmed head and Aang looked to the ground.

"So do I..."

* * *

Zuko's ears were mute to the terrible, echoing blasts above him. His arms were motionless in bender position, his feet spread in stance, the fire glowing around his fingertips. His father was still glaring at him with those haunting gold eyes - the only physical feature he had inherited from the fearsome tyrant.

"You dare challenge me in my own court?" he hissed, the fire burning up to his shoulders in orange streaks. Zuko did not flinch at the unbound fury that was seeping into the network of his father's face, the rage that simmered in his eyes and bled from his body in bright flame. He no longer feared the gruesome man, the pitiful coward, the person held up only by his title and his anger.

"Do you accept?" glared the Prince, his voice so steady that the Lord's hands began to burn in frustration. Glaring across the courtyard, he settled his dreadful gaze on Iroh.

"Brother, talk some sense into your lunatic nephew! Get back on your boat and leave, you are banished -"

"He has challenged you to a duel, brother," said Iroh slowly, seating himself beside a twitchy elder. The elder was overwhelmed, of course, his old age strained by the events that took place with such celerity. Eyes closed, iroh folded his hands into his lap. "Do you decline his offer?"

The Fire Lord burst into rage and thundered from his throne. Zuko was quiet, watching him carefully, his heart beginning to beat faster as he clearly saw his immediate rival - his father, Lord of a Nation that had captured the world in a ghastly, hundred-year war, greatest known dueler on the face of the earth.

Zuko secured his footing and kept his eyes on his father, concentrating on the delicate, constant flow of flame, the element that swam, fierce and deadly with repressed power, through the complicated working of his veins. Yet this time he was not overpowered with rage, lost in the hell fires that would momentarily consume his father. He was calm with the peace she had brought him, directing the shimmering fury of red fire with his own will, joining it to himself, taking each step in unison with the divine flame that seared in his soul.

His father struck a similar stance, but the fires of his rage had already engulfed his chest and his shirt burnt to ash, crumbling to the ground. Zuko was prepared, his eyes set, with no fear to be spoken of.

He elders were breathless. The Fire Lord stared down his son, fuming, letting the fire devour him. Zuko stood his ground, patient, the fire shining softly by around his wrists. Iroh glanced at them and lowered his head.

With a roar, the Fire Lord leapt, his entire arm flaming and directed straight at Zuko's chest.

He dodged it effortlessly, but his father's leg caught him at the last moment and Zuko spun, catching the man's foot before it could make contact. His father swung him around and his heel burst into flame as Zuko released, skidding back into the earth, knees bent, one flaming hand on the ground.

The Fire Lord released a furious slice of red flame and Zuko's arm flashed to meet his attack; the two blows canceled in midair and Zuko leapt through the flashes of smoke, his foot meeting the Lord's shoulder to force him to the ground. The man grabbed his leg and swung him in a full circle before releasing him, leaving his body to skid mercilessly across the broken ground, his legs burnt from fearsome flame.

There was no hesitation on the Lord's part. He charged, punching his arms towards where Zuko lay bleeding the earth; Zuko rolled from the fire blasts and leapt towards the man, ducking flames and igniting his soul, turning his upper body into a bonfire of brilliant light. The Lord turned when he saw him and met each of his attacks with angry flames. The Lord was roaring, and Zuko could see the fires beginning to burn his flesh from lack of control. Seeking a weak point he blocked a punch and slid down between his legs, leaping up behind him and tracing a burning scar up the Lord's back.

Zuko fell to one knee and placed his hand on the earth, feeling the fury of his father growing behind him. With the straight burn etched up his back the Lord's rage took over and he thundered blindly towards the silent, calculating form of his son. Zuko turned to meet a whirlwind of flames and he shielded himself, his arms burning from the intense heat of his father's anger, his scar throbbing and he tried to see from the watering eye.

But his father knew his weakness and, when noticing that each attack he threw was blocked, skid over to Zuko's left side and Zuko, the form of his father suddenly vanished, was caught unawares as the man barreled into his side, burning with hell fire, and plowed him against the wall of the courtyard.

Zuko flinched but held to the fires in his palms. The Fire Lord, seeing victory, backed away and lit his fist for the final blow.

The flame flew but Zuko knocked it away. His leap was perfect, precise; the Fire lord looked up to see his son in midair, falling with unstoppable speed towards him. The fire swirled around his body, passionate as Zuko's newfound heart and swirling into a blinding white, symbolic of his terrible retribution on the man.

And at the last moment, with the white fires dazzling the Lord's eyes, the flames around Zuko twisted into the roaring shape of a lion's head and rammed the heartless man into the dust.

Zuko stood over him, his hands still flaming, his body sweating from the effort. His father lay in the midst of the courtyard, panting heavily, the earth around him scorched black. The entire left side of his body was disfigured, his skin peeling from the depths of the burns.

Zuko let his hands fall as his father continued to wheeze, gasping for air with a half-scarred throat. Blood was beginning to seep from his wounds and Zuko turned away, disgusted.

"It's over, father. You are now banished."

He began to stalk away and a small smile lit up Iroh's face. Suddenly the sounds of wheezing stopped.

Zuko did not have time to turn. The Fire Lord ripped a dagger from his pocket and sent it flying, straight on, at his victorious son. The blade flickered across him and Zuko gave a gasp of surprise as blood seeped from the cut across his shoulder.

The elders stirred. This was not part of Agni Kai - weapons were forbidden, and the Fire lord had just broken his own sacred rule. The man, however, was standing now, still scarred horribly, as Zuko backed away from his dreadful form.

"No one will banish me, not even my son -"

He raised the dagger and Zuko prepared to shield himself; but as the blade fell a hand caught the Fire Lord's and twisted it so the elbow gave a loud snap.

"You will not harm another hair on this boy, brother," snarled Iroh, appalled at the cowardice and treachery of his own flesh and blood . "You have fallen. Of all the underhanded -"

Iroh let out a gasp as the half-burned Lord flung him back with flaming arms and the man fell, burnt and coughing. Zuko, stunned and feeling his heart tear, called to his uncle but his attention focused immediately on the dictator before him. His body burst into sudden flame as the fury began to overwhelm him. His voice shook in promise, not threat.

"I'll kill you..."

He roared and lost all control. The Fire Lord fell back into stance as he charged him, ruthless, unbound flame burning the skin along his body. The hell fires crept into his eyes as he pulled back his arm, aiming his mortal blow at the hated, revolting form of his father. The blue necklace on his arm glittered and the straps began to burn.


	13. Chapter 13

He barreled into his father, punching, thrashing, lost in furious flame. He couldn't tell when fists met the vicious man or when he hit the earth beneath him; his knuckles were torn open and bleeding, the scar on his face throbbing from the heat, his vision blurred with smoke.

Something smashed into the side of his skull and Zuko's world spun; he was hardly aware of falling to the ground, blinded with pain, his joints momentarily paralyzed. The next thing he was aware of was a biting, furious pain in his back and he struggled to stand as blood ran freely across his bare muscles.

His father had slammed his elbow into the side of his head when he was lost to rage and sent the young fire bender spinning off the platform, landing cruelly in a bed of dead thorns. His back was torn open and Zuko, still struggling to regain balance, fell to his knees, the world swirling in a mesh of red and black. The form of the Fire Lord was barely distinguishable above him, the fires in his palms mere glimmers in Zuko's obscure reality.

"You should never have been _born _- I curse the day you were, miserable, disloyal traitor -" he grabbed Zuko by the throat and pulled him into the air, clenching his burning hand around th Prince's throat. "This will be over, no more banishment, you had the Avatar and you let him slip through your unworthy, treacherous fingers -"

His grip tightened and Zuko, hanging limply in the air, cast his eyes to the ground. Through the blurred vision of his left eye he saw something faint, something as pure blue as the heavenly eyes he longed to look into, glittering on the ground. Katara' necklace, broken fiercely into two burned halves, lying abandoned among the thorns.

He felt his breathe catch as the flames burned up his throat and he closed his eyes, awaiting the blow.

_I'm sorry, Katara..._

He heard the sound of rushing wind and waited for the heat to make contact with his face, but it never did.

Aang let out a great cry and sped between them, catching the Lord's arm with his glider and tearing it sideways in an irregular direction. The bone snapped and the man howled in pain and frustration, the fires vanishing from his right limb as Zuko collapsed to the ground.

Appa let out a great groan and Sokka leapt from the saddle, blade in hand, his boomerang repaired and clenched in his fists. The elders all panicked and ran from the courtyard, calling for guards to save them. The Fire Lord, keeping his footing on the rough ground, faced the air bender and Aang glared, the wind hissing in a great whirlwind about his young frame. The burned, hideous man thundered towards him, his left arm flaming, his right arm hanging limp and useless at his side. He came within a foot of Aang before the air bender yelled, twirling with marvelous fluidity, and sent the Lord hurtling across the courtyard and into the opposite wall. The wall shattered and threatened to collapse, ashes and stone raining down on them as Katara skid beside Zuko and gently pulled his torn body into her lap.

He still couldn't see her, his vison blurred and his strength all but vanished from his strained muscles. But he could feel her as she took his hand, gently, the soft, smooth touch that she saved for him only; the way her chest rose and fall with her light, sweet breathe as she cradled his head beneath her neck, humming soothing words that he was too disoriented to recognize. But the very fact that he could hear her returned his will to fight, and he tightened his grip on her hand.

Sokka walked up beside Aang to where the dust was starting to clear. Feeling the death of the great Lord was evident, the Avatar lowered his hands and turned to Sokka with a weak smile. It was less than a second before he caught the glimmer of red from his eye.

Aang skidded across the floor and Sokka's boomerang flew, deadly in its aim, towards the misshapen body of the Fire Lord. The wretched man caught the boomerang much as Aang had previously done, but on the bladed side; a deep gash formed in his palm and he half-laughed, half-screamed in anguish before another flame knocked the warrior to the earth. Bleeding, burned, oozing fluid, and with most of his bones shattered, the man looked more like a walking corpse than a fearful Fire Nation Lord.

Zuko longed to lay against Katara for eternity, to feel the cool peace flowing from her body, the soft echo of her heartbeat within her chest. But he could feel his father, even in his state of dazed recovery, fuming at him, longing to extinguish the life he had before bestowed. He fell forward to his knees and got up on one leg before hearing Katara insist on his rest.

He staggered onto both feet and his half-focused, golden gaze turned towards her. Katara's insides turned to terror as she saw the way his eyes half-glazed, numb with pain, his body moving by pure will power alone.

"Help...my uncle," he whispered, his eyes never resting, always misting and clearing again, as though he was struggling to remain conscious. His father was still limping across the courtyard, unstoppable, relentless.

"Zuko..." bean Katara, but she froze as Zuko fell to his knees again and scooped up the two delicate halves of the necklace from among the thorns, callous to the pain the action caused his hands.

"I...will end this...Katara."

As he said her name she broke down and the tears began to flow from her icy eyes. Zuko could not dwell on grief at the moment and turned to face his oncoming father. His right hand lighted in flame and he stepped shakily forwards, past the groaning form of Sokka who sat up, rubbing his head.

"That hurt like -"

"Sokka, go tend to the old man," snapped Katara instantly, striding past her brother after the Prince. Sokka blinked twice and heard a groan coming from the old man on his left. Crawling, he crept over to him and turned him over, seeing a great gash upon Iroh's forehead.

Zuko knew she was behind him. His father was twisting grotesquely as he hobbled towards him, his left eye ripped from its socket among the giant burns along that side of his body. The rest of him was torn muscles and bone piercing skin, bloody clothing and silent scars that seeped with pus. The Prince did not need to hear Katara say anything.

The Lord's flaming fist flew, and Zuko ducked beneath his arm as the great blade of ice flashed through the air, striking the man a pulsing gash across the great vein in his chest. As blood rained through the air Zuko leapt, the flame in his hand dying slowly as it made one last contact with his father's face.

* * *

"You try much too hard, young Avatar," said Iroh, chuckling at Aang as he ran desperately around the upper deck of the ship, his shirt flaming bright in the intense cold.

"Why is it so hard to - AH! Katara - put it out -"

Katara laughed, grinning slightly with Iroh, and sent a splash of torturously cold water towards Aang, who shivered at the sudden onslaught.

"AH! NO! That's even worse -"

Lighting up his hands again, the Avatar tried to warm himself, but began panicking again as the flames rode up his arms - never burning, but threatening to incinerate his highly flammable air bender clothes. Iroh shook his great, grizzled head again and let out another soft chuckle.

"Perhaps you and I should open a shop one day, Aang...I've always wanted to sell curio...antiques and old furniture, you know..."

Sokka walked up on deck, yawning loudly and scratching his ear. The wind whipped brutally at his face but he didn't seem to mind. Breathing in the scent of dry, freezing cold air, he let out a terrific sigh and sank beside Katara on the banister.

"This place has the greatest weather on earth," he muttered fondly, lost in his own thoughts. Katara smiled and looked down into the icy waters. When she didn't reply, Sokka raised and eyebrow and a grin began to form at the corners of his mouth.

"So...I went below deck today to -you know - check on things, and I bumped into this guy."

Katara was hardly listening and Sokka continued to grin out towards the ocean.

"He was very respectful, you know, very typical of Fire Nation. Thanked him for joining us on the way to the North Pole, we talked about the war a little too..."

Katara twirled her fingers idly and the ice beside the boat melted. Sokka closed his eyes and went on.

"He asked me how everything was going and I said fine, nothing to complain about. You know, I didn't recognize him at first, with all his bandages taken off, but when he started rambling about you I knew him instantly..."

Katara's eyes snapped open and she turned, hardly daring to believe the words coming from her brother's mouth. Sokka just grinned at her as Aang stood in the background, his sleeve catching fire again, a good-humored Iroh smiling beside him. Katara's breathe was caught as she leapt on her brother, too stunned for words, suffocating the air from him with a fierce hug. When she broke away she skidded along the icy deck and flung the door open to the lower decks. Gold met blue and tears streamed, unconstrained at both ends.

Zuko had sustained terrible injury during his duel, his death seemingly inevitable, his body broken and torn ruthlessly by his own father. But that father was now in ashes, his evil breathe lost on the wind, his hold in the war vanished. Weak and gasping Zuko had ordered and end to the war, but not all took to kindly to his words. Admiral Zhao had detached himself from the nation, his alliance of brainwashed minions following him into the shadows of the world where they plotted and grew in defiance. Zuko himself had remained treated for weeks as Iroh, recovering from much less strain than his nephew, gathered them all onto a small ship and set a course for their original destination. Until this point Katara had sat by the Prince's bedside, her voice quiet and calm, the touch at his hand allt he healing he would ever need.

Now he was gazing at her, lost to words, the breathtaking cold air only perfecting her flawless beauty. He thought back, suddenly, to the time when he had loathed her, followed the Avatar with a fury that threatened to consume him as it had his father, burning up his soul into agony even in death. And he had escaped it.

Because of her. The untouchable beauty that now lifted her hand to caress the delicate scar along ths side of his face. The vision in his eye blurred, but no from her gentle fingers. Tears were dripping to his chin as his free arm slipped, subconsciously, to her waist, and his features closed in against hers.

"I missed you," she whispered. Zuko's heart fluttered gently and Sokka, who had glanced over across the deck, sweat dropped and puked over the side of the ship. As he raised his head, a flaming Momo leapt onto his scalp with a panicking Aang following.

The fire bender felt their cheeks nudge gently and he smiled, rubbing his thumb along her side. Katara nudged him in the side in what was the faintest expression of a tickle. Zuko grinned and his hand closed on hers.

"Be careful. I can tickle you twice as badly, you know," he whispered. He felt a smile grow steadily on the amazing outline of her features. Slowly she let her fingers slide along the back of his neck and he felt and irresistable need to shiver.

"But you wouldn't, would you?"

He smiled and kissed her lightly as Iroh grabbed Momo and put the embers out in his fur. Sokka groaned and his stomach gave a loud, decisive growl.

"LUNCH! Time for lunch. I'm happy for you two, but we all need to eat. To the fish!" and Sokka scampered below deck with a greedy look on his face. Aang, still frustrated that his fire bending wasn't quite controlled, bounded up to Zuko.

"Tomorrow I'm training with you, cause your Uncle's insane," he stated flatly as Iroh followed behind him, smiling widely. Zuko nodded to the Avatar and the boy skidded past them and through the door, closely followed by Iroh, who was muttering something about how lovely the tea would be. Katara took the fire bender's hand to follow, but he pulled her back, praising the moment of solitude.

The fires of Zuko's heart flamed in deep passion, his fury dissolved with new embers of hope, igniting flames of loves that fluttered from the ashes of lost hatred. Katara was a river of serenity, unshakeable in her belief, her heart overflowing with the unmistakable joy and tranquillity that her love for the Prince had freed inside her.

The sun was still glowing as night came on over the freezing Arctic, the air still light blue. Sokka and Aang were below deck scarfing down food as Iroh watched, drinking his copious amount of tea. And Zuko and Katara turned inside as Zuko's lips left hers, disappearing below deck.

The war was dragging on, pro-longed by the rebellions of men as evil as the Fire Lord himself. But for the moment, the occupants of the ship were content with their meal of ice-water fish and the terrific thundering that echoed onboard as Iroh began his music night.

**The End **

P.S. - I decided to leave the remainder of Zuko and Katara's romantic life mostly up to you. That way I don't disappoint anyone. :) Also, was going to do personalized thank you's, but there were too many and I didn't want to leave people out.

Thanks to Reviews From:

Black Daisys, SOMEONE2003, Zukos Girl

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And all Anonymous Comments


	14. Note

Quick note for the Ending;

If you want, you can make your ownsequel to this story. If you would like me to write my own sequel, just review with your comments and ideas. I'm here to please the readersand I'm an open book. TO THE BATMOBILE!

Kelly

PacManGhost

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